A Fallen Dark Knight
by Code Name - I am NRG
Summary: Book 2 of the Fallen Series. Rated M because everything in this fanfic is.
1. Chapter 1

.

DISCLAIMER: did you read the prequel first?

 **Chapter 1**

A Fallen Knight

 **XxXxXxXxX**

Star Butterfly looked out her window, there were hundreds, if not thousands of refugees from the Mewni Crisis and Mewni Civil War, whatever kingdoms left standing took whoever they could, reaching beyond the capacity they could possibly hold. Turning them away no longer became an option, no other dimension would aid or take refugees, fearing a fallout that could happen and most of Mewni became a No Man's Land, utter devastation and lawlessness was rampant.

Forcing them out there was a death sentence and the refugees begged and pleaded not to be turned away.

The castle suffered numerous damages from raids and sieges, thankfully her room and other key rooms were not afflicted with boulders or marred with fire and spells. The peasants below the castle swarmed with refugees greatly outnumbering them, so many temporary tents and rickety shacks were built that it impeded traffic and space.

Queen Moon tried to expand the realm to accommodate the refugees but whenever she did build something outside of the magical barrier, a never ending stream of raids would fall upon the hapless refugees, beaten to death and their meager belongings taken from them. Sometimes their corpses thrown overhead to the castle, the terrified face of a mewman or monster refugee staring blankly at them.

The magical barrier wasn't as resilient anymore, sometimes it would flicker in and out of activity, allowing for sudden but devastating raids to be conducted, sometimes it would just fall apart if enough boulders or slabs of flaming rock smashed into it.

It was a miserable situation, after all the fighting and bloodshed many thought they would be on a road to recovery but it was not meant to be. Suddenly, skirmishes and raids begun to sprout all over Mewni no matter how well the kingdoms tried to control the situations. Several kingdoms soon fell as a result of angry mobs and ceaseless raids, their lands desolate and blighted, nothing could grow there and the stench of the dead spread far and wide.

Other dimensions heard the situation and tried to help.

Their world burned soon after.

They begun to shun Mewni, refusing to let any mewman or monster into their dimensions. Little by whittle, any hope of things getting better began to wither with each passing day.

Star wept when the Johansen Kingdom fell to the onslaught of raids.

Star screamed as Cloud Kingdom fell from the heavens, sinking into the ocean.

Star fell into despair when the Lucitor Kingdom vanished over night, nothing more than a crater, ice and frost encroaching all over it.

Pony Head and her sisters survived the crash, survivors of the Johansen clan and few demons from Lucitor Kingdom came and lived in the Butterfly Castle. Pony Head's usual upbeat personality took a nose dive and she was much more subdued, her father perished getting his children free leaving her as a Queen without a throne or kingdom.

River fell into depression hearing his home demolished and family no longer among the living, when he came back from his home kingdom, he didn't speak for three days only to cry uncontrollably. The demons fared no better and became a shadow of themselves, stating whoever or whatever took down the kingdom was most likely at large.

Capable of destroying kingdoms in a heartbeat and bleed worlds to death.

Star shared the upheavals, using her powers to help feed and soothe her kingdom but everyday the problems grew larger and more impossible. She helped feed the barrier when her mother could not, often Queen Moon did so on her own but everything that has happened even she was feeling the burden.

The biggest blow was the fact the Magical High Commission was out of commission.

Omnitraxis Prime somehow fell into a magical a coma, Rhomobulus was captured and executed by an army of corpses and skeletons bashing his head into a rock until it broke and Hekapoo went on a mission and never returned.

Without their impressive powers at Queen Moon's disposal, things only went downhill.

Star looked at her bed, Pony Head was sound asleep, she couldn't sleep for the first few days after her kingdom sank, her sisters were similarly subdued, enough to the point that they didn't speak for days and ate little. While the Butterfly Kingdom just had enough to eat, those below fought for anything edible leaving so many hungry and desperate, venturing outside the barrier was a gamble, you didn't know if raiders would catch you and filet you.

Star looked at the evening sky, after the fall of so many kingdoms, the sky even at night looked as if it was sobbing, stars blinked out of existence, every night there seemed to be fewer and fewer.

Star stared at the sky, hoping to see something a friend once told: to wish upon a shooting star.

Instead, an arc of red lightning lit up the night sky, thunder nearly deafening as it startled so many of the denizens awake, Star nearly jumped out of her night gown. Pony Head shut through the bed's canopy and floated around with the sheet over her head, "Oh mah gosh Star your alarm clock is cra."

"It's not an alarm clock Pony Head! Oh…no…"

Star saw the sky light up brilliantly before her eyes were drawn to beyond the barrier: there was a giant mob covertly hiding but the sudden lighting gave them away. Star ran out of her room with her wand at hand,

"MOM! DAD! THERE'S A MOB! BATTLE STATIONS!"

The castle's occupancy immediately began rising from their beds and cots, knights and warrior hurried to the siege weapons and armory.

Moon was already running down the hall, she was in her battle attire, as if expecting trouble, she glanced at the 17 year old Butterfly, "Did you see how big it was?"

"Big, Mom, really big. They mean business…"

Moon cursed and the two quickly leapt out of the balcony changing in midflight, Star let her magic work and grew out something akin to her mother's garb. They flew over the camps below, the two grimace at the sight of the mob, with all their body covered in rags and patchy cloaks, no one was even sure if it was mewmans or monsters that did consist of the mob.

The refugees scurried further away from the barrier, knowing when the fighting starts the barrier would likely fall and them in the crossfire.

The two Butterflys faced off the massive mob, knights hurrying to them from the distance, Star gritted her teeth, this was a normal occurrence but they were never so bold to fight in the open and with so many to lose. Mad mobs were given no quarter even if one was taken prisoner, the kingdom would soon lose its guards as the prisoners were akin to a rabid dog.

Star and Moon faced off with the mob as they began to walk closer and closer to the barrier, pressing themselves against it, their eyes driving into the two of them.

"Clear off! Away with the lot of you!"

"Get out of here, if you know what's good for you!"

The mob paused at their words before a ripple of mad laughter rang out, scaring anyone within earshot and even Star couldn't help but feel the deranged tone in the laughter, as if their threats meant nothing to them.

As if their lives meant nothing to them.

"YOU DID THIS TO US!"  
"YOU MADE THIS HELLHOLE!"  
"YOU SHOULD BE ON A PIKE!"

They stiffen at the accusations but they refused to answer the mob, they drew their weapons and began to carve words into the barrier, Star and Moon narrowed their eyes as insults and crass language bleed into the barrier, knowing slowly the barrier will break and they would be fighting. The thundering march of the knights was apparent and the mob began to whittle at the barrier even faster, Moon and Star readied to blast them into oblivion.

Suddenly the barrier crashed.

Star and Moon couldn't comprehend the sudden fall.

So did the mob as their weapons slashed air before looked around confused.

Star and Moon didn't wait and took out the frontline, the bodies hit the mud and the mob screamed and surged forward, weapons at the ready, screaming to the heavens and the heavens screamed back.

Three massive meteors came crashing overhead and smothered the mob, the shockwave sent Star and Moon flying into the refugee tents, crumpling them and flattening anything not structurally sound. Star pulled herself free from the foul smelling canvas to see the once large mob reduced to few screaming survivors, crawling away as three massive flaming craters speckled the land.

Star stared at it for a moment before something began to move through the flames, Moon grunted as she pulled herself up, "Ugh, I hope that was our artillery…"

"No…"

Moon and Star looked at the ruined battlefield as something was striding forward, a wave of dread washing over the two, a sudden instinct to flee in the opposite direction, coldness seeping into their bones.

"What is this…?"

"…! Star get back!"

Star blinked as the thing walking towards them from the flaming lands was a rather tall and foreboding dark figure, clad in dark armor. Moon grabbed her daughter and painfully limped away, Star watched in horror as it drew a sword and slew the few survivors before looking at their direction, through the helm visor, she felt a fury mounting.

"Mom look out!"

Star pushed her mother to the side when the figure sent a screaming shockwave arc at them, the knights flung themselves to the side as the arc ripped through anything and anyone foolish enough to be on it's path.

The two Butterflys looked at the path of destruction then back to the dark figure calmly walking towards the castle, the knights ran into formation, the captain yelled, "Drop your weapon! You are—oh forget it! Charge!"

The knights surged forward, the figure sheathed its sword before slamming a fist into the ground, suddenly it felt as if ground itself was violently sick as it ruptured in all directions. The knights caught off guard immediately fell into the churning earth, being crushed and buried by tons of dirt before the figure walked forward again.

The surviving knights leveled their swords, lances, axes, maces and halberd at the figure and hacked and slashed into the armor-clad fiend. It easily swayed out of the blade's reach before breaking the weapons with its hands alone. One knight came heroically swinging with a broad axe, the figure was knocked off its feet and into the ground, the knights immediately came crashing on the fiend, smashing their weapons into any open crevice.

"DIE!"  
"FOR MEWNI!"  
"SCUMBAG!"

The knights stabbed and jabbed but the fiend wasn't affected, on contrary it seemed to be laughing as the helm rattled.

The moment the weapons paused, the figure strike, it was a clever ruse as the sword came flying out of it's sheathe and cut down the knights, blood seeped out of the wounds. It shook itself for a moment before resuming it's course to the castle, Moon and Star stared at it for a moment unsure what it wanted, on one hand it killed the mob and on the other it slew the Butterfly's knights.

The two chose the latter for that lone reason and rained magic blasts at it, the fiend stopped and spun away from the attacks. It was deceptively fast for something in armor, it slid behind the tents and the Butterflys hesitated before blasting through the canvas, something heavy tumbling out the back.

"Mewni...why...?"  
"...daddy…why does it…hurt?"

The two monarchs felt their guts twist painfully.

The fiend casually walked out of the scene, it grabbed a handful of dirt and threw it to a charging knight, he sputtered through his helm and ran into a post, knocking himself out. The figure looked at the castle before breaking into a sprint, the armor clanking as the drawbridge was rapidly being brought up at the sight of it.

It pulled out two daggers and lit them on fire, throwing them to the chains pulling the drawbridge, seemingly melting the thick chains and letting the massive construct slam back down.

That got the Butterflys attentions and they desperately raced back, the screams of panic and anger rang around them. Star couldn't help but see the refugees staring at her as if she was some sort of monster, having blast through tents and spilling innocent blood. Moon merely held a stony face, having to make difficult decisions since she was a wee teenager.

The figure walked into the castle, as if looking for something, it leapt back as River and some knights fell from above, axes, swords and spears pointed at it.

"Filthy cretin!"  
"Clever beast you are!"

The fiend made no indications at the insult, it drew a plain sword leaving the better looking on in it's sheathe.

River frowned at the sight.

It leveled the sword at them, River and the knights felt the thick waves of killer intent aimed at them. It was a numbing sensation.

No words.  
No warning.  
No time at all.

River and the knights crashed into the fiend so quickly it bounced off the stonewall and they immediately caught and rammed the interloper through the front door, rolling the figure down the steps. They would have whoop in victory but when the figure stood up and dusted its shoulder, they jumped at it again.

The sword was fast, so fast, so very fast.

River's stature allowed him to duck lower as the sword rend through metal, flesh, bone, flesh, metal and repeating cutting through the knights in half. The king felt their blood splash on him before a steel toe found his mouth and he found himself in a bed of corpses.

The figure looked at him before walking up the steps again.

River felt his fury rise but it fell when Moon and Star came into view, they picked him up, thanking any gods above that he was spared. It was a hollow comfort with so many good knights dead, he put a hand over his mouth, suddenly aware of the pain he just suffered.

"What is it?"  
"I don't know…it just…came."  
"…it wants something—AH!"

The two spun and saw in time a demon fall from the window and smash into the cobblestone below.

They stared at it for a moment before they rushed back inside the castle.

They could hear the angry and frighten screams of the demons,

"YOU! YOU WERE THE ONE—UGGGHKR!"

Star got to the top of the staircase and nearly fainted as the figure slowly choked a demon it's face contorting painfully from the pressure and lack of air, the others clawing and breathing fire on it but it ignored them, even though the armor turned cherry red.

What happened next blew her away.  
Literally.

The armor turned back to normal and a shockwave exploded from the figure, the demons were turned into bloody chucks and the demon it was choking turned into mush. Star was sent flying out of a window and landing in the moat around the castle, she elbowed a Mewni Gator that tried to bite her and flew back up feebly.

Again, something fell out of the castle and into the pavement: a pony head with the unicorn stabbed through its eye.

Star's heart jumped to her throat when she heard her best friend screech at the top of her lungs, "IMMA GOONNA KILL YOUUUUU!"

Shooting back to the castle and through a window, Star looked around frantically, before making a portal and leaping through, she gasped as all the remaining pony heads were blasting the fiend. It was holding Pony Head Princess as she screamed at the monster in front of her,

"You killed my dad! I'm going to gouge your eyes out! Ya hear me!? I'm gonna feed you to the pigs and shit all over your body! We'll make a holiday after yo dumbass!"

The rest of the pony heads screamed in delirious rage at the culprit, Moon held on her husband, keeping him away from the fiend, realizing it was the same one for his kingdom.

"My family…my friends…dead because of YOU! I'LL KILL YOU!"

Moon yelped as River broke free and grabbed a fallen axe and slammed it into the fiend's neck

Star cried as the fiend moved like a blur and caught a pony head and threw it at the path of the axe, she still cursed despite half of her head missing before promptly falling, dead. River stared at the corpse before the pony heads screamed and cried in rage, whether at the fiend or River no one could tell.

Star grabbed her dad and mom and dived them away as the pony heads began a laser show; nothing was safe from their horn blasts. Dragging them around the corner, River had gone all white from what he did, Moon and Star looked at him worriedly before the yelling and blasts from the sister pony heads dwindled by the second until only Pony Head Princess could be heard.

"YOU FUCKIN' SICKO!"

"No…"

"STAR NO!"

Star felt her mother's hand on her wrist, she tugged as her best friend screamed at the fiend, she lamented how her sisters were being stabbed with their own horns or rend by its own hands.

"Mom, Pony Head! She's—!" "NO STAR! IF YOU FIGHT YOU'LL—!"

Star slapped the hand away and ran forward, tears streamed down her face as she tried to fend off morbid thoughts but as she came around the corner she saw her best friend fighting against the hand on her pink mane. Pony Head valiantly blasted away, punching holes through walls and furniture, she shot Star a look of pain, anger and helplessness, all around her were her fallen family,

"B-Fly! Ruuun!

The fiend cocked its arm and forced it through Pony Head's neck and out of her mouth, its thumb popping out of the pony's eye socket. The pony head gurgled, blood seeping out of the new orifices made by the fist before the fiend pointed it to the Butterfly.

'Oh save me save me…I got my siblings and myself…' somehow the fiend got the dead pony head to speak on its behalf before throwing the head aside among the rest.

Star stared at the brutality, her heart cheek marks turning into flaming skulls, her wand pointed at the fiend and it charged at her, arms out and hands like claws.

She didn't care.

The wand shook in her hands as a familiar blast of golden energy spewed forth, the fiend ducked and tackled Star into the wall, she drove her knee and heel up but it merely slammed into solid metal. The fiend put her in a bear hug, Star felt sick to her stomach from the pressure before she realized that her wand was still firing the golden ray, she screamed as she realized what the fiend intended to do.

Before Star could shut the valve to her powers, the fiend swung her in the direction of the refugee camp and the peasant town at the foot of the castle. The citizens didn't stand a chance against a magical death ray, incinerated or vaporized, whoever was left screamed havoc at the sight before them.

Star despaired at what she unintentionally wrought before her mother came to her aid, swinging a magic made sword, the fiend was sent flying as Moon caught her daughter in midair.

"Mom, I—" "Now's not the time, Star!"

The two flew down the hall when Moon hit the floor, clutching her back. Star rolled out of her arms and saw the fiend up again, a dazzling sword in one hand, it pointed at Moon and she shrieked in pain, lightning striking her from sword point.

"STAY AWAY FROM MY FAMILY!"

The fiend dodged the axe drop from River and even the following swings, the King didn't back down and managed to slam the blade into the fiend's knee and took the sword and shoved it into the fiend's helm, killing it.

That would have happened if not for the sword shocking River the moment he took the sword leaving him in a brief paralysis, the fiend pulled out another plain sword and drove it into the King's gut despite Star flailing bolts of magic to the fiend.

"DAD!" "RIVER!"

The fiend looked at River for a moment before tossing him out of the window. Moon and Star saw only red and charged at the fiend, nothing but fury and hatred fueling their powers as they lunged and pummel the fiend, punching it through the floor and forcing it to crash to the next floor and the next in quick succession.

Star and Moon panted and sniffled at the destruction they caused, hoping at the least they avenged their loved one. Star sat down on a broken slab of floor and cried, unable to process in a single instant she was robbed of so many dear loved ones, Moon wiped her tears unable to mourn properly as she saw fire burning at the foot of the castle, she could see dark masses coming to the kingdom.

"Star…darling…we need to leave."  
"But Dad! He's—"

But Moon merely shook her head sadly, "Star…I was ready…for—!"

The two Butterflys were sent flying as the fiend stood up suddenly and sent a shockwave at them via slamming an armored fist into the floor. The two of them stared in disbelief that the monster still had life in it, Star and Moon took a step back and turned to run out of the castle, changing into their Butterfly forms.

They didn't get far as Moon screamed, the fiend matched her speed and grabbed both of her wings and swung her into the crumbling castle wall. Moon made her magic sword but the fiend easily smashed it to pieces with its gauntlet before grabbing the Queen and smashing her head into the wall, it grabbed her wings and savagely tore it off, Moon's scream rattled the castle.

Star flung herself at the fiend, no longer caring if she got hurt or died, she just wanted to make the monster hurt, hurt as bad as she felt. All the loss, the hate and anger condensed and she smashed into the fiend like a meteor, sending them both flying out of the castle and into the burning refugee camp.

Star pulled herself up, she made her wand into a hammer and began to pulverize the helm of the fiend, striking again and again, sparks and jolts of lightning sprang at each impact. The fiend tried to claw her off but she brutally smashed it's hands, bending fingers and splintering wrists.

Nothing but primal Mewman rage pumped through her system letting her be so savage, so uncaring, so drenched in her pain and unleashing it upon the culprit. Each swing made the ground rumble, each hit made sparks of mad glee, each slam she recited the ones she lost to the monster.

She swung for the umpteenth time when something stopped her from bringing the hammer down, she snarled only to see a bloody Moon staring at her, frighten.

"Star…"

"Mom…"

Star stood up only to slip and fall, she blinked and saw she had reduced the fiend to a crumpled piece of metal, a pool of blood and flesh mush oozing from any openings. Star pulled herself up, unable to comprehend how her mother survived, but she quickly hugged the Queen crying,

"Mom! Mom, I thought I'd lost you too!"

"It's alright Star…"

Star's hands felt the wounds on her mother's back, "Your wings…"

"They'll grow back…right now, we need to leave."

"Where? Where can we possibly go?"

"Eclipsa…if she's still alive…"

Star could tell her mother didn't like the idea, but with their kingdom nearly burnt to the ground and the barrier gone, it was only a matter of time before a marauding group came and raze the kingdom.

"Mom…last time we saw Eclipsa, she wanted to hang you like a piñata and hit you until Snooker bars fall out."

"Star…is piñata code for something."

Star just gave her mother a blank stare before pointing her wand to the sky, **"Ultra Fresh Mouthwash Rain."**

The beam made a massive cloud and began to rain a frothy shower, sizzling out the fires of the refugee camp. The two limped away, any survivors of the camp were left to their fate, there wasn't anything Star or Moon could do anymore for them…

The surviving refugees looked at them with blank stares, some mustering a look of hate but the two monarchs just continued on as they scurried from the burnt tents and blacken soil. Star heard a far off scream and curse, she moved to go to the scream but Moon caught her wrist and pulled her, she didn't say a word but Star knew what she would have said…

"AAAaaaaaaaaaahhhh!"

Star felt her mother's hand slip from her wrist, a shadow falling to the mud.

"No…no…NOOOOO!"

Moon coughed, trying to move herself but she was firmly pinned to the ground with several black thorny spikes. Star immediately grabbed one but she cried as the serrated thorns cut her hand, Moon wheezed for breath,

"Don't bother…Star…even if you did pull…them out…I'd still die…"

"Mom, I can't—"  
"Just..run…"

Star stared at her mother before her vision was filled with a crumpled helm looking at her, she screamed with what little breath she had, thrashing in the grips of the fiend. She smashed her wand into it, again and again, refugees and peasants just watched, some fearful…some spiteful.

Star smashed the wand again into the helm, this time upwards and under the chin and sent the helm flying into the sky. It clang somewhere in the distance.

The princess never heard it fall. She stared horrified at the face looking at her, eyes burning with righteous fury as it was staring at something absolutely repulsive. It squeezed harder, her muscles shrieked, her bones fractured, she gasped for air even as her vision dimmed, but those eyes seemed to glow ever brighter, burning to her very soul.

* * *

Star shot up from her bed covered in cold sweat and hair sticking to her skin, clawing at an attacker that was not there. Tears raced down bloodshot eyes that stared into the darkness; an uncontrollable shiver ran down her entire body, blanket tossed aside and also moist with sweat.

It took some time for Star to calm and to breath properly and even then it was painful, gulping the cold evening air in her room. She glanced around the room paranoid, not believing that it was free of damage and carnage.

A dream.  
Just a bad dream.

Star hazard to go back to sleep despite the ordeal she just faced was simply that: a dream where so many died and her kingdom ravaged.

Star curled herself in her bed, tears leaking out.

Just a dream…

But it felt so real. The situation. The emotions. The battles. The overwhelming despair, it was too real. It had to be a premonition of the future...

Her thoughts immediately concluded that the fiend had to be him, it just had to be. No one else was that powerful.

Marco Diaz. The name even made her heartache painfully, her former best friend and runaway Dark Knight of Mewni. He never showed up after he fled to Earth and barring his home from all who wanted to contact or enter the dimension. It made sense: after his mistreatment, the unwanted knighting and for personal reasons he would be angry at all of them, it wouldn't be far fetched if he suddenly decided to attack.

But...that seemed wrong...Marco, he wouldn't—

Star felt a forlorn sigh leave her lips; Marco had been gone for at least two years now...why would he come back? No one could bother him on Earth, he could just pretend like he never left and memories of her would eventually fade away from everyone in Echo Creek.

He was free from her and anything that could hurt him on Mewni.

The thought made anything good of him being gone…hollow. He was on Earth. She was on Mewni. They were cleaved and they have gone on their separate ways.

And that made her cry even more.

 **XxXxXxXxX**

* * *

Spoiler: it wasn't Marco.

What's good my avid readers, the sequel I promised and we are already balls deep in tragedy, delicious. Kidding, it's just a dream. A bad one at that. And this sets the tone of the fanfic, I was very hands-off with the prequel, they are only 15, they had the whole world in front of them, they have hopes, dreams, aspirations and ambitions. Soft and light.

Now hard and heavy.  
With a side order of sass.

I hope you're hungry my avid readers, it's gonna get a little weird, gonna get a little wild.

Ciao,  
I AM NRG

 **END OF TRANSMISSION**


	2. Chapter 2

.

 **DISCLAIMER** : this here chapter might be a tad confusing.

 **Chapter 2**

Hekapoo

 **XxXxXxXxX**

Since Marco's departure and apparent warding of his dimension and planet, Hekapoo searched feverishly for a means to break into the boy's home. Never had she been denied a dimension, every dimension was her domain and she would not let this insult to her honor and powers go unnoticed. Still, after months of fruitless rift ripping she had to admit that Marco did make a rather good defense against her, but she knew the ward would not last forever, nothing ever does.

Even she would eventually die of old age. Eventually.

By then Mewni, Earth and most of the dimensions would have perished.

But the thought didn't bother her too much.

Not when she had so much fun doing her job.

Slashing rift after rift, Hekapoo searched for ways into Marco's dimension but it always seem to lead her in circles, at first she found it cute, then frustrating but eventually curious, he had to make these sidesteps, these detours. Did he really make these many dead ends just for her and anyone who wanted to get to him?

Maybe he was afraid of the threat she made, the ones Moon made and the retaliation of Star. There was no telling what he was planning and if he was jumping through dimensions, she couldn't tell, apparently his sword could rip rifts and she was oblivious to any instances it happen.

Marco had truly disappeared from the universe, shielding his home from all prying hands and eyes.

She was pissed when she found out she was best by Marco, waking up as Moon shook her awake, she worse for wear, at first she thought Marco even best the queen but Eclipsa claimed that victory. Everyone in the Magical High Commission underestimated him and they paid the price, Omni was put into a sink hole, Rhomobulus was nearly shattered and she toyed with her food too long. She would have laughed at each of their outcomes but being the one that should have won their respective fight shut her up fast.

If he ever appeared again they would be more cautious of the human, but no doubt he wasn't gonna show his face on Mewni any time soon. While he did flee, he was pretty much thrashed by all who fought him, only escaping by sheer luck from what she was told.

She scoffed though, _Muscles has always been strong and skilled…he was just never pushed far enough._

Hekapoo slashed another rift, bored out of her mind as she searched endlessly for a backdoor into Marco's dimension, deciding that the next rift she ripped open would be the last so she could take a break, maybe get something to eat.

Using Marco's scissors, something she found ironic to help her break into his dimension, she slashed away again, careless at her technique.

She paused as the rift opened and instead she saw herself on the other side, she blinked thinking she made a clone and she just ended back home. Hekapoo slipped in and froze, the would be clone smiled,

"Welcome back."

Not a clone.

But someone who looked like a clone.

She stood just about her height, she looked like a teenage, at the cusp of a woman, Hekapoo blinked, not sure who she was seeing.

"Who…who are you?"

"Kinda rude to ask first, just waltzing into the house."

Hekapoo looked around, suddenly realizing she was inside a cozy little parlor, the girl smiled.

Hekapoo looked at the girl more closely realizing how tired she was made her seemingly think she was a clone: her skin was a soft shade of cream, bright orange eyes, bushy brown hair, but those didn't give her pause; it was her yellow orange tipped horns, a thorny black scrunchy binding her hair, a little flame dancing around her hand and a cutey fang. The fact she wore a red hoodie, navy jeans and knee high boots just made her look so utterly familiar, Hekapoo balked and back step the girl laughed at the reaction.

"Sunk in yet, Mom?"

"I'm…I'm not your mom!" Hekapoo cried, unsure why she panicking.

The girl rolled her eyes, "Suuure I haven't heard that line before."

Hekapoo found her mind reeling, _maybe I'm tired…hallucinating…_

The girl scoffed, "Let me guess: I'm tired, I must be seeing things." the girl mocked.

The blacksmith flinched, the girl rolled her eyes again, "Seriously? Ugh, whatever. Go on, back to your little scavenger hunt."

Hekapoo was rooted on the spot at the words, the girl smirked and sat down on a two person couch. Hekapoo couldn't believe her eyes, she looked over the girl and it felt so obvious but she had to be sure.

A 100 percent sure.

"Are you—"

"Marco Diaz is my daddy." The girl said miffed, crossing her arms.

Hekapoo's face turned into the same color as her hair, the girl sighed before smiling again obviously an act, "I am Hestia 'Don't-Call-Me-That' Diaz, lovely daughter to one Hekapoo and Marco Diaz."

Hekapoo blushed, "Oh…heck no."

"See?" the girl said snidely, as if pleased with herself.

Hekapoo let the words roll around a bit before she reached out, Hestia shrugged and opened her arms to hug her mother.

The redhead blacksmith pinched the girl's cheek and she wasn't too gentle either,

"WHERE IN MEWNI DID YOU GET THAT SNOOTY MOUTH OF YOURS!?"

Hestia's eyes flared up, a hand found Hekapoo's cheek and a painful pinch followed,

"FROM YOU! LET GO!"

"NO!"

Hestia leapt on Hekapoo and the two thrashed all over the parlor carpet and rugs, pushing furniture and knocking over things. Hestia rolled to her feet, wiping her chin, her cheek swollen as was Hekapoo, she tossed her hair and rubbed her creamy cheek, the red swell more apparent.

The two locked eyes together.

Hestia was nearly pulled out of her hoodie, her boot was lying somewhere, Hekapoo's hair was a mess, she blew a strand from her face and tugged her dress.

Hekapoo narrowed her eyes and pulled out Marco's Scissors, Hestia snarled and pulled out an identical one, although it was more battle worn. Hekapoo froze, Hestia smirked and pointed it at her,

"Do you think I lie now?"

"Prove it's not a fake!"

Hestia rolled her eyes again, muttering something before bringing the scissor to her hand, a flame dancing for her and it smothered the scissor, Hekapoo felt a plunge to her gut as the blade shine and revealed the name she dreaded:

MARCO

Hekapoo quietly closed her eyes as Hestia smiled triumphantly at her, "Hah! I AM your daughter! Undeniable truth!"

The girl's face faltered as the redhead blacksmith's body erupted with flames, Hekapoo's eyes filled with tears,

"Where…"

"…?"

"Where did you get those scissors from!"

"…!"

Hestia brought the blade up as Hekapoo shot at her like a missile, the two slammed against the fireplace, the girl looked up frighten as the redhead glared at her, eyes full of pain, guilty and anger.

Hestia shrunk at the sight, Hekapoo grabbed her by the shoulders shaking her,

"WHERE'S MARCO?! WHAT HAVE YOU DONE TO HIM!?"

Hestia was pale face as Hekapoo shook her, jutting her against the fireplace, suddenly something fell and cracked beside her. With shaking hands, Hestia pointed at the fallen object and Hekapoo glanced at it,

A broken picture frame laid on the carpet, the glass shards every where but it did not obscure the picture of a smiling adult Marco carrying a blushing Hekapoo decked in a white wedding gown, obviously embarrassed but happy.

Hekapoo felt herself be pushed back as Hestia stood up, her face filled with emotion, she stared at the girl as tears fell from her young face,

"Where's dad? What did I do to him? He is where he is happiest."

"Wait…I—? What are these?"

Hekapoo stared at her as she took picture frames from the mantle and handed it to her, she looked at it and saw her and Marco cradling a baby in a bundle, a picture of them playing with a child, Marco and her dancing and so many more. Hekapoo looked at them then back to the girl, her eyes were puffed up as she silently cried, she gave her one last picture:

Marco, Hekapoo, Hestia and 11 other children grinning back at her.

Hekapoo stared looked at it.

"You wanted a big family, Mom. So did dad. Never complained though about all our combined antics."

Hekapoo looked at the pictures before to Hestia, Marco grew older in each one, a horrible truth came to light.

"…I outlived Marco…didn't I?"

Hestia painfully nodded before sitting in front of her mother, she tentatively held her hands, feeling them shake, Hekapoo wanted to wretch them free but something made her hold on, "Mother, I am the Forger of Dimensional Scissors now."

Hekapoo felt so out of place, she just lulled her head to the side, so much information, "…so I retired."

"No, Mom, after Dad…well, you couldn't do your duties anymore, so I took up your mantle instead…been making scissors for years now actually."

"Because I was distraught over Muscles…"

"…no, because you were like Dad…you two found a dimension where both of you aged normally and built a home there. You built a home here."

"But all those pictures—!"

"You dyed your hair red and your alabaster skin doesn't show your wrinkles that well, after Dad…you went back to him."

Hekapoo was speechless.

Hestia smiled sadly as she knew her mother silently had tears welled up, Hestia tentatively pulled her mother and hugged her, "He really loved you, you know?" even her young voice cracked.

Hekapoo was unsure what was going on, here was a girl claiming to be her daughter, telling her about a life she had with Marco and that they lived happily for a long long time together.

She felt herself being led to a couch, Hestia sat next to her, "Sorry for being so forceful Mom…"

"…I'm so sorry…I nearly…" she trailed off, Hestia chuckled nervously, "Yeah…I had flashbacks…"

The two sat quietly for a moment.

"Hestia?"

"Yes, Mum?"

Hekapoo winced at the word, not sure it would ever feel right.

"Can you tell me about…this place?"

Hestia smiled, "Well, it all started when you and Dad…"

And the two of them talked, Hestia was the more frequent talker, Hekapoo could see the child like glee in her eyes, like Marco had even as a 30 year old adventurer. She went on and on about her childhood, the stories she and her siblings were brought up, the time they took Nachos, Tequila and Burrito on a test flight their parents chasing after them, how they spent the holidays with their grandparents, how Marco overreacted to Hestia and his daughters dating and countless of times and tales so absurd but she knew it had to be true.

They just had to.

It felt like a lifetime the two were talking back and forth, Hestia made tea and open a tin filled with sweets, biscuits and dried fruit and they ate.

Hestia looked as if she had stories for lifetimes, but despite all the stories her daughter told her, something just seemed off.

"But Marco left Mewni…does that mean he will come back?"

Hestia was silent for a moment before she spoke, as if unsure what to say,

"Yes, he can not just stand idly by with what is going to happen. He has to be there to make sure things don't…well it doesn't bear to thinking."

Hekapoo thought for a long time, no mention of…girls Marco had relationships prior to her, she had questions for Hestia.

"…so in the end…Marco ended up with me? What happened to Star? His ex girlfriend Jackie?" Hekapoo asked quietly, Hestia shook her head, "The names are familiar but I don't recall what happened to them. You and dad were very reclusive when we were growing up."

Hekapoo deflated at the choice she made, however her thoughts drifted to Marco despite their recent battle, she felt a bit guilty over how things had gone down and knowing how they would end up. Hestia thought the question over for a moment.

"Well, Mom, I can't say for sure, I mean…I'm always born no matter who daddy chooses."

Hekapoo felt as if someone dunked her in frigid water.

"…what? What do you mean, 'always born'?" Hekapoo looked at Hestia concerned, "What you said and you just said right now makes absolutely no sense!"

Hestia looked thoughtful for a moment but Hekapoo knew she was just faking it, she was terrible must have inherited that from her dad, "I am a constant child, I will always be born no matter what."

"…are you saying Marco and I will always have you?…wait a minute…does that mean even if he is married? And not to me? You will be born?!"

"Yup. I'm your love child, eldest child, only child, secret child and future child." Hestia said mockingly cheerful.

"That can't be…that's…cruel…" Hekapoo whispered, she grabbed Hestia, "Was Marco married before he and I…?"

Hestia gave her a knowing smile, "I am an universal constant. As long as you meet Marco Diaz, my only father, I will be born, whether out of wedlock or marriage."

"Why? Why you, Hestia?"

"Hmph, why not? I'm just glad I will be born."

Hekapoo grabbed Hestia by the shoulders, her eyes bright, "Will you be born every time Marco and I meet? Why?"

"Yes, always. Dad will always be determined, that's one of his universal defining trait, he will earn his scissors and you two will fall in love and I will be born soon afterwards."

Hekapoo looked at Hestia, torn with being glad and utterly sad at the fate of her child. She touched her cheek and Hestia smiled sadly, "Are you and dad fighting right now? You've been slashing portals so much I couldn't ignore it."

"…yeah, we got into a…argument." the words felt so weak.

Hestia regarded her mother for a moment, eyes roving all over her face, Hekapoo looked away and her daughter shook from head to toe.

"…you two shouldn't do that…you never would lay a finger on each other like that."

Hekapoo could hear the hurt in Hestia's words and voice, she was genuinely upset and the blacksmith felt incredibly guilty again, she saw right through her.

"Mom…do you want to talk about it?"

Hekapoo was uneasy at the subject like how her daughter was apparently a universal constant, but nonetheless she sat down with Hestia and she told her how she went from guarding Eclipsa, to her trial in Mewni, Mina's appearance, Marco's involvement and later her duel with her would-be-husband.

Hekapoo was frustrated at Marco's actions how could she not be? With him lying again to her to protect his 'princess', without helping it she went off in a tangent, her words spilling and her emotions hurt and fiery, Hestia merely listened. She said a lot of awful things about Marco, about herself and the dire situation as a whole, by the time she was done, Hekapoo was out of breath and felt a creeping guilt that she just broke down in front of her daughter.

Hestia looked calm as ever.

"Gee Mom…you should talk to dad soon."

"I wish I could…but he barred his entire dimension."

"Give it time, he will come back. And you should too."

Hekapoo blinked, Hestia looked at her expectantly, "W-what do you mean?"

Hestia gestured to the house, "Mom didn't I say? In this dimension, you age at the same rate as dad, as a human, you shouldn't be here…yet."

Hekapoo looked at her daughter for a moment, "…I shouldn't be here? Why? Am I breaking some sort of rule?"

"Not you. Me."

Gears began to turn in Hekapoo's head, "What is this a paradox?"

Hestia merely smiled and made a portal and pointed to it, "Once you walk through that portal…you'll forget that I exist, everything that happened here will be like a fleeting dream, unable to be recall any of our conversations or comprehend why you can't remember. You will get over it and go on your way."

Hekapoo looked at her daughter, unable to understand why she was being turned away.

"Why? Why bother bringing me here? Or telling me about my future? Or showing me something wonderful and snatching it away? Why Hestia? Why bother doing any of this just to undo it?"

There was no anger or emotion in Hekapoo's words and Hestia looked at her boots, "…I was just being selfish, I wanted to see my mother again."

"But I don't want to forget you."

Hestia closed her eyes at the words.

"…I wish I could…but I can't…please Mom, don't make this parting any harder than it should."

Hekapoo was rooted to the spot, she didn't want to leave, she wasn't going to leave. Hestia looked at her again, sensing the defiance, _oh so there's where I got it from…wait no, both mom and dad are stubborn, I might have gotten mine squared…_

"Mom…Hekapoo, please, you have to go."

"No. I don't have to."

"Mom you're acting like a child! You have a responsibility and duty for all dimensions, you can't just abandon it because of me!"

Hekapoo glared at her, "…I'm not leaving."

Hestia sighed before walking up to her, she frowned they were about each other's eye level, _damnit, I'm short…_

"Mom…if you don't go, I won't be born."

"You said you'll be born either way!"

"Yes. I will. So long as you're there Mom, if you're here then who is Dad going to do the nasty with?"

Hekapoo frowned looking at the gate, Hestia folded her arms, looking impatient, "You act as if you're never going to see me again."

"Because I won't."

She rolled her eyes, "What a drama queen. Whatever, get going or you'll be the one sneaking into Dad's bedroom instead of—?"

"Fine! Fine." Hekapoo sighed, rubbing her temples, "Is this what I have to look forward to in a few years?"

"Whatever Mom. You say that but you really happy, the happiest you've ever been. Well, maybe when Dad took you on that date at…" Hestia let the words hang as her mother turned scarlet.

Hestia smirked as Hekapoo stalked towards the portal, looking at her daughter one more time, "…take care of yourself, Hestia."

"You too Mom."

Hekapoo paused, looking at the portal before turning to face the new Dimensional Scissor Forger, she opened her arms and Hestia dived into the hug, snuggling up to her. Hekapoo hugged the sobbing girl, whenever someone cried to her be it trials or a beat down, she only felt a sadistic glee, but with her…the emotion was wrong, she felt so much more than she should have, her thoughts drifted to Marco.

 _Damn boy…he really did change me…_

"Enough Hestia…I'll see you soon."

Hestia drew back, hiccuping and wiping her eyes, Hekapoo wiped her chin and nose, feeling maternal, "Heh, what a big baby."

She giggled when Hestia pouted.

Hekapoo stepped into the portal, feeling the immediate effects, she looked at Hestia again, "I don't want to forget you, Hestia."

"…I'll be in your dreams, Mom. I promise."

Hekapoo wasn't convinced as she fell through the portal.

* * *

Hestia stared at the portal before she sighed and walked to the next room, she kept walking until she ended up outside: the Time Dimension. Father Time was outside, looking worried,

"Same thing kiddo?"

"The same. I…I need to sit down."

The two walked towards the temple of his, he glanced down at the little one, sadness in his eyes, "You know you could ask your siblings for help."

"Sure. If they could keep it together and _actually_ send their…mother back. They can't, Father Time, they love her as much as me."

They continued to walk, Father Time looked at her,

"…you let a lot of things slip this time." he said gently.

"Yeah…it's getting harder and harder for me to turn Mom away…I was really trying to make her feel guilty…lying about Aunty Star, Aunty Jackie and everyone…if I said any more she would never leave."

Silence.

"You really like that Nacho, Tequila and Burrito story."

"Yeah I do."

Hestia looked at the sky then to the horizon, Omnitraxius was lying there dejected at the situation. The two of them unable to fix the titanic problem, Father Time taking it better than Omni who felt that it was his duty to ensure things like this didn't happen and being utterly powerless made things no better for the cosmic giant.

They left the balance of the universe on the shoulders of a lone teenager.

The two continued to walk to the temple, Father Time helped her sort through the events on the many monitors, Hestia looked at the many screens some being divided more times than necessary making it difficult to perceive what it was trying to reveal.

Hestia stood there for a moment, amidst all the monitors, the papers and the board that kept track of thing, she couldn't help thinking back when it first happened…

Hestia Diaz had gone to the Time Dimension, since she had become the new Forger of Dimensional Scissors, she made it known far and wide that she was to be contacted for new scissors going through the Trials of Hestia, formerly Hekapoo to earn thy scissors.

She used the same criteria as her mother's keeping things simple. Except she allowed to use her clones and her siblings as buffers.

There were a lot who called foul until she loosen up.  
Babies, really, who was gonna reprimand her? A list came up but she refused to say who was on it.

She could have sent a herald or some sort of messenger, but she decided to do it in person, while her youthful appearance was deceiving like her mother's, she was as wily as her and then some thanks to her father, whom she tried to outsmart on a daily basis.

Towards the end of the run she decided that Father Time would be last, he shared dimensions with Uncle Omni and she didn't want to hear a long winded lecture, that and she reminded the giant so much of Hekapoo he would constantly refer to her as her mother. Which inevitably made him sad. And Hestia as well.

When she got there, she saw Omni and Father Time huddled, talking to someone, Hestia grinned and sneaked over, ready to scare the two,

"BOOP!"

"GAH!?" "HEY!"

"DA HECK WAS THAT!?"

Hestia froze.

The two turned to face her then a third joined:

Hekapoo, her mother.

Hestia just stared at her.

"So you're the munchkin making my scissors…heh, guess I kicked the bucket, Glossaryck must have made you."

"Um, Hekapoo, she's not your replacement."

"Wow, Ms. Diaz you came on a great time!"

Hekapoo's face fell, she looked at the two, "What? 'Diaz'? Did I heard you two right?"

"Yeah, you did." "That girl there is your daughter."

Hekapoo burst out laughing, falling to the ground, her boots kicking in the air, "Oh, that's rich! Omni, Father Time you know I can't get pregnant! I'm sterile!"

Hestia felt a frown on her face, this couldn't be her mother, she was just some cruelly made impostor, _honestly how did this two been fooled?_

"Whatever. Whoever you are, you better not be running around looking like my mother or you'll be sorry." Hestia spat, a glare on her face.

Father Time and Omni froze and slowly backed up.

Hekapoo abruptly stopped laughing and quietly stood up, the two blacksmith glared at each other, "You are not my daughter."

Hestia rolled her eyes, speaking sarcastically, "Suuure, I haven't heard that line before."

Hestia pulled out her scissors as did Hekapoo, their blades gleaming in the light of their flames, Omni and Father Time saw this and gasped, the two glanced at them then to the opposite weapon: they were identical.

"How…?"

"…did you get that!?"

Hekapoo snatched the scissors from her, she looked at it expertly, she thrust it to her flame, the both of them looking at both scissors, Hestia, Omni and Father Time peering at it.

MARCO

MARCO

Hekapoo dropped both of them.

Hestia yelled at her before she felt two hands cup her face.

"…you're…you're really my daughter?"

Hestia could see Hekapoo more clearly now, she looked unnaturally young, she could see others mistaking the two as elder and younger sisters.

She didn't know how or why, but Hestia felt her heart swell at the sight of her mother back again, she didn't question it at the time and happily embraced her mother, Omni and Father Time ecstatic at the sight.

They spent the next few hours getting everyone to meet Hekapoo especially her other 11 children who came barreling at her, sobbing and hugging her, telling how much they loved her and missed her. Understandably, Hekapoo fainted, unable to process how many times Marco got her pregnant.

Twelve.

12 times.

When they final revived her, the party was let loose and it lasted well through the night in the Time Dimension, so many came to see Hekapoo again, it felt like something out of a fairytale. When most of them were smashed face, Hestia brought her mother to their resting place, the dimension that she and Marco found. The former forger patted the gravestones, smiling wistfully at the sight.

"That's a really nice looking house."

"Yep, glad that dad was such a handy man, we punched holes and broke windows all the time as kids. Almost burned it down once too."

"I bet I was furious."

"You were, spanked all of us. Dad too."

The two laughed before they went back to the party.

The next morning, Hestia groggily woke up to Hekapoo looking at her, "Wha? Mom? Gosh, you wouldn't believe how much I…?"

"Mom? I don't remember having a kid like you."

Hestia blinked.

"Mom? Why so frigid? It's me, Hestia! Y'know, future daughter, inherit your position? Drank more than—!"

"Quit the smart ass talking, who are YOU?"

Hestia blinked unsure what the heck was going on, she glanced towards the back, the party people were still smashed, the ones who stayed anyways. Hestia felt a her gut punched at the sight of Hekapoo on a table, face first with shot glasses balanced on her head.

Hestia robotically turned to face her mother, she looked mighty upset at her, "WHO ARE YOU?"

* * *

Getting the rest of the party people to leave, Father Time, Omni, Hestia, the two Hekapoos and 11 other Diaz kids were in the temple, the eye looked at both Hekapoos and showed near identical events on the monitors.

"This is bizarre…"  
"It must be an omen."  
"Well, this place has been always precise."

Father Time and Omni were however concerned pointing out different events, "Look: Moon is in this one, but in this it's Star. And that's Tom when it's suppose to be Richard Pigeon."

"So, two things are different. So what? Look the results is the same anyways."

The two shook their heads gravely.

"Short term yes. Nothing wrong happens but look it gets—"

"—worse. That means these two Hekapoos are from two different timelines, somehow they converged here, when neither of them should."

Hekapoo and Hekapoo looked at each other, concerned, "I was slashing portals to Marco's Dimension, to get to Earth, he shielded it by the way, lil bugger. I saw this portal appear and I leapt through."

"Strange, I was doing the exact same thing but the portal I slashed I leapt through led me here."

Father Time and Omni paled.

"So…the portal was made either by you…or was already pre made…that's troubling."

"What does that mean?"

Omni folded his arms, "You two must have made enough portals to thin the barrier between dimensions, one of you made the other portal for the other hence why you're here."

"Which?"

"You."

"You have to be more specific Omni." the two spoke, grinning.

He groaned, "Take this seriously!"

They began to thoroughly search the two Hekapoo's history, kicking out the 11 other kids when they saw Hekapoo and Marco do some alone time, Hestia couldn't be more embarrassed, her mothers screamed foul at the invasion of privacy. But slowly, ever so slowly, they begun to see the discrepancy and it wasn't good, Omni's hypothesis proved right: they were from differing timelines suddenly on their plane.

Hestia wasn't convinced.

It seemed so far fetched that two of them made that kind of trouble.  
Thinning the barriers? Jump on different timelines?

Hestia however couldn't help but feel wrong about the situation.

But the following day, the portal the two spoke of popped up again and a Hekapoo came out of it, clueless to where she was, when she was and who Hestia was or her siblings. The other two Hekapoos were aghast.

"Oh."  
"Shit."

The third Hekapoo was shoved to the temple, horribly confused and violently threatening all of them. Only when she saw the monitors and watched the scenes play out did she have an inkling of an idea what was going on, all present watched the screens and again they saw discrepancies.

"Well, at least now we know, don't we?" Omni sighed, Father Time looked at the eye before it's pupil dilated, it thrust forward to Hekapoo again and the monitors went dark, next static then the next one shook everyone.

It was sudden but terrible, no one could turn away: a bloody war that never happened in their time took place, royalties died everywhere, the battlefield, in their carriages, in their sleep.

"Oh no…"  
"No…"  
"WHY? WHY IS THIS HAPPENING?!"  
"IS THIS THE RESULT OF HEKAPOO BEING HERE?!"  
"WHY IS MOM EVEN COMING HERE! No offense."

The other 11 kids were frighten and concerned, Hekapoo got Hekapoo up to speed while Hekapoo was depressed. Omni investigated using his cosmic crystals and he nearly shat another cosmic body: there were Hekapoos. Hundreds of them. Thousands even. All running towards a portal that would send them to the same portal the Hekapoos were being led out from.

"So…Mom will end up here. Then what?" Hestia closed her eyes and rubbed her temples painfully.

Omni and Father Time looked at her,

"Hestia this is terrible! If you're mother is here, then she's not present for some events! That will drastically change the timeline! Heck, you might not be even born! Or your siblings! The universe is in peril!"

"We need a solution and quick."

Hestia sighed bitterly, Omni was always like that. Mostly.

She looked back at the screens, a sense of foreboding growing deeper and deeper in her gut…

The next day another Hekapoo showed up.

Omni sadly shook his head, Father Time just walked off somewhere.

Hestia grimaced at the sight, she sat down and looked at her, not sure how to feel.

Hekapoo, Hekapoo and Hekapoo carefully got her to speed and led her to the temple, Omni and Father Time then nearly had a heart attack: Mewni went through Armageddon, the place didn't have more than 100 inhabitants above ground.

"Okay. That's it. Hekapoo go back through that portal."

"We can't."  
"We've tried."  
"It's like running into a brick wall."

Hestia frowned at the problem and went there herself, she pressed her hand on the portal and felt the iron clad resistance: definitely a one way portal.

 _So…Dad makes a ward…Mom slashes a zillion portals to get to him…causes dimensional damage between dimensions…A portal comes up or becomes this portal, she leaps through and becomes stranded…She doesn't go back to her timeline, things change and escalates: Armageddon._

They went around discussing what to do: the simplest solution was to just open a portal and chuck Hekapoo through it, problem solved.

Only Father Time and Omni shot it down fast.

"One: you have to send them to the right timeline, Two: they have to forget any of this happens, Three—"

"But Uncle Omni it's simple! You can tell me what timeline or dimension or whatever they are from, I'll make a portal take Gear Hamsters and just drop them off."

"How about their memories, hmmm?! Listen Hestia, my lovable niece, you could make them swear up and down not to tell or do anything out of the ordinary…but how will they know how to act? Or what to do? Because of them getting here and seeing all they saw at the temple it's no longer reversible."

Hestia stood there, unable to find her voice, Omni patted her shoulder, "I'm not saying your idea is not good, but there's just too much to leave to chance."

"…if all these Moms, I mean, Hekapoos are from before Dad, er, Marco dropped the wards, then let's just look through my history, maybe they talked about it with me, maybe as a kid or something."

"…that's worth a shot, heck anything is viable at this point."

The three stood at the temple, the eye was looking mighty tired but it leveled with Hestia and begun to unravel her past, "C'mon please, something about the ward, Dad had to tell me the story before…"

They looked at the screens and they were taken back: Hestia was definitely showing up, but not as it was.

Hekapoo only having 3 kids, Hestia the eldest child.  
Hekapoo sneaking into the bedroom, Hestia born somewhere.  
Hekapoo as Marco's mistress then Hestia being born.  
A widow Marco marrying Hekapoo then Hestia being born.

"What the…?"  
"Oh no…no, no, no! Hestia, all these Hekapoos—they must be fluctuating the timelines!"  
"Is—is that even a thing?!"

Omni ran his hand over his skull, "I—I don't know! But they are throwing things out of control!"

Hestia looked back at the monitors she shudder, "Yup, she's definitely changing things, look my hair is blue."

"Uh huh, there's me in the background, my swords are kitchen knives."

"That's nothing, look there's me wearing a wig. I look ridiculous." "Actually you look look with it."

Hestia jumped on the Father Time's Gear Ride and tried to go the first portal and stop her mother from entering it. Only find herself back where she started: the Time Dimension, no matter how many times she tried.

Omnitraxus couldn't break the unique time-loop apparently happening, as it was not a real space-time-loop just displacement of Hekapoos across the dimensions.

The two were aghast at their lack of power.

They fell back to Hestia's plan.

"Even if we did send her back to her own time…she will alter it, she's seen you, Hestia, your siblings, everything you told her, what she has seen, what she's experienced, if she stays here or goes back we're screwed."

"Then…wipe my memory."

Everyone looked at Hekapoo in surprise. The other Hekapoos were doubtful but nodded slowly.

"Agreed."  
"Whoa, I just hope not everything."  
"Just the time we spent here. The less we have the better."  
"Wait, is that even possible?"

"Yes, and you'll have to do that to the next Hekapoo and the next that comes out of that portal, you gotta send her on her way. Father Time or Omni, you have to pretend this never happened and convince her to leave." Hekapoo said firmly.

"So…how do we do that? Mom's memory must be wiped and sent back."

"Actually, you can do it Hestia."

Hestia looked at the second or third Hekapoo, she looked a little embarrassed, "I want to explain this to my daughter…in private."

The rest were resistant but they eventually left them alone leaving her with Hekapoo, she sighed and looked at her daughter, "Never thought Marco-boy would get me preggers…guess I must have been ovulating like a bitch in heat."

"That's really foul language Mom."

She shrugged, she began to write complex glyphs and symbols on the ground and taught Hestia the correct utilization of her powers she inherited from her, complex chants, complex hand gestures, correct scissor slashing, precise resonance, harmony and such, it was difficult but eventually Hestia got it after hours of practice.

"Why do you ever need this?" Hestia looked at the mock portal, Hekapoo then inspected it before nodding, she then told her that she would need Father Time in conjunction to send her back in time and without memory of her or recent events.

"You dodged my question, Mom."

Hekapoo looked around, making sure she was truly alone glancing at a mud puddle, she looked a little guilty at her, "You go on and on about Marco…about your father, my husband…well, I'm not a…"

"Oh no…OH HECK NO. MOM." Hestia looked scandalized, Hekapoo blushed but looked a lot less guilty.

"Hestia, I've lived a long time. A LONG TIME. Without meeting Marco. Don't you think I—?"

"LA LA LA NOT LISTENING ONLY PAPA ONLY PAPA LA LA LA ONLY ONE TRUE LOVE LA LA LA."

Hekapoo laughed at her daughter's antics, "Alright, alright, tone it down or you might as well announce it to the whole universe. Yes, I did have lovers before Marco I'm not going to deny that, but he's the best I ever had, by the way. Everyone else don't even come close. Both meanings."

"MOM!"

"Hestia, I have lived a long time, don't patronize me! You will too. Don't you think one puppy love will last forever? I said good bye to many friends and lovers, I'm glad for them all. You're lucky you have so many siblings to get along with, I only had Rhomobulus, Omni, Lekmet and Glossaryck growing up, while fun it did lack things I wanted."

Hestia was still smarting at the revelations of her mother, things better left unsaid, Hekapoo however wasn't done tormenting her would-be daughter,

"It was mostly girls by the way."

"OK MOM."

After Hestia got all of her misgivings away, mostly about her Mom, this Mom anyways, they tested sending her back after cross referencing her with Omni and the temple before making the portal with Father Time, Hekapoo smiled at the portal if not a little apprehensive.

"How will we know it work?" Hestia questioned.

"Well, I'll come through that portal, tell Omni about what he did in 'that' party and then we can try again."

Omni paled, Hekapoo smiled widely at him before waving.

"See you soon!"

The moment she disappeared, Omnitraxus leapt and body slam the portal, "OH HECK NO YOU ARE NOT GETTING ME LIKE THIS SISTER!"

"Someone call the Coast Guard we got a beached whale!" Hekapoo cackled.

"FUCK OFF!"

* * *

Thanks to Hekapoo's teaching and Father Time's powers and Omni's precision, Hestia could conjure up the portal necessary to send the stranded Hekapoos back on their timeline without altering the timeline with their newfound experience and knowledge, it was as if the event never happened.

After careful cross referencing and careful monitoring, Father Time deduce their procedure worked, they could do it without harm to the timeline. Much to everyone's relief.

"So…how long do we have to do this? I'm sure that portal will close, then no more problems right? No more 'the universe is in peril' business, right?"

Omni and Father Time looked unease at the words, Hestia looked at them not happy or even glad, "What? What's the matter?"

"…I'm sure the portal will close…but when…we don't know…"

"And only you can open that portal…"

Hestia tried to look not sad at the words, when they sent the Hekapoos on their way, she immediately tried to teach her siblings but none of them were compatible.

"You're right…I tried to teach my siblings…they can't." Hestia's hopeful face fell, "…why am I the only one who can do it? I taught them exactly how I learned it, heck I did it with them and they still couldn't do it."

The two shook their heads at the plight, Hestia despite the setback she confidently puffed her chest, "We'll manage. I bet this thing will blow over in a week. A month tops."

The two watched the Diaz march to the portal, waiting for the next Hekapoo to arrive.

.

Hestia walked back to the house, it was built to give the sense of coziness and a place to deceive the arriving Hekapoos, they wouldn't need to know or be explained that they were in the Time Dimension, skipping a lot of exposition. It also gave Hestia the chance to guilt trip her mother and send her on her way, everything inside the mock house was to exploit Hekapoo's affection for Marco and her new found maternal instincts for her future children.

It felt so wrong to manipulate her mother like this, but she stayed like the off chance Hekapoos who saw through her and demanded to stay and fix the problem, the universe would be jeopardy.

She even tried just telling the truth and was met with mixed belief and disbelief, she even had to knock her mother unconscious and push her through the portal, suffering numerous injuries.

Lying and guilt tripping her mother was the easiest route, her mother was level headed and responsible Magical High Commission member, however when Omni tried or Father Time, she became incredibly stubborn and when Hestia or her siblings were mentioned, she became adamant to leaving.

Hestia tried having her siblings help but…they became so attached, they loved their mother so much that sending her away became too much of a burden. Hence, she did it alone, leaving the second eldest to run the forge while she remained on a committed vigil over the portal.

She cleaned the parlor, picking up the glass and tossing them into the fireplace, rearranged the picture frames and took the broken one and went into the closet, opening a hidden compartment she pulled out a fresh family portrait and placed it on the mantle.

"Alright everything is as it should be…" she sighed before facing the portal.

Another solution would be just closing the portal, but no one could, not Hekapoo, not Omni, Father time, the Diaz kids, herself or any other being in the universe that her siblings brought to try.

It remained.

Hestia stared at it, seeing the void, waiting…

 _I do know one sure fire way to close it…Dad's sword…I've seen Dad do things with it like nothing ever seen this one-way asshole of a portal could be close…but that sword, so many tried to claim it, especially us, his children but the sword is stubborn, unwilling to move on. If I could just wield it…all this would be over…these long two years…this nightmare can end…_

Hestia felt her eyes well up, she wiped her eyes on her hoodie sleeve, unable to keep herself from crying the words spilling from her lips, "Papa, please…drop your ward…please let Mom find you…please make up…please let me stop lying to Mom, please I don't want to keep reliving our times together over and over again just to push her away and make her leave… I don't want to do this anymore…I can't…I don't want to…Papa please!"

She sobbed, it hurt.  
Her heart hurt so bad.

Hestia sensed it, she looked up and saw a familiar shadow coming, she straighten up and wiped her tears away. She waited for Hekapoo to walk through the portal, looking around confused, Hestia smiled hollowly,

"Welcome back." _Dad…please save me…_

 **XxXxXxXxX**

* * *

This chapter made me really think how far I would take this fanfic, sadly I have to take things even further than before if I hope to outclass the prequel in ways I can't imagine. My heart goes out to Hestia, the poor child.

Yeah, this part made me actually want to take the fanfic in a different direction, this was suppose to be part of the Epilogue but I cut it out for...reasons. Hestia is one tough cookie but everything has it's limits. Overall, Hestia Diaz's life for the past two years has been rough, she can't rely on her younger siblings to put their mother in the right timeline and emotional trauma gets deeper and wider with each visit.

She is literally one of the few people holding the dimensions together through this act alone, she has to wait for her father and mother to make amends or she'll break mentally, physically and emotionally.

And the universe will literally fall apart.

This chapter made me even dislike Marco for a time, who indadvertedly did this to his daughter in combination to Hekapoo. So I'll just clarify how this all went down:

1\. Marco wards the Earth Dimension  
2\. Hekapoo recklessly tries to enter Earth Dimension  
3\. Eventually the many many portals thins the dimensional barriers, think of it like the Butterfly Effect [see what I did there?]  
4\. The 'portal' is eventually made by Hekapoo or appears already premade  
5\. All 'portals' are linked to one exit: Hestia's timeline and the Time Dimension  
6\. Hekapoo is displaced, not present for events, timeline is compromised and things escalates  
7\. Hekapoo has her mind wiped by Hestia-Omni-Father Time's triangulated portal.

This vicious cycle has continued for two years and Hestia and everyone is powerless to stop it, literally impossible.  
This plight then becomes one of Marco's Impossible Tasks to break the Blood Moon Curse.  
 **IMPOSSIBLE TASK 777** : Save Hestia Diaz.

This chapter also has a lot of significance beyond itself: it is where Star receives her dream from. That's right, that Armageddon dream Star had was that one mentioned.

Damn, lore building is a lot harder than I first thought it would be. So much things to remember and to tie in.  
So what y'all think of it? PM and review!

Ciao,  
I AM NRG

 **END OF TRANSMISSION**


	3. Chapter 3

.

DISCLAIMER: the title.

 **Chapter 3**

With Parent's Permission

 **XxXxXxXxX**

"Mom, Dad, I'm off to the Wastelands!"

Angelica 'Angie' Diaz kissed her son on the cheek before he ran out to the backyard slashing a portal and leaping through, she sat across her husband, Rafael as he looked up from a magazine of Do It Yourself art and models.

He watched his son disappear before they went back to their reading and musings. It was a normal sight for the past two years for the parents, after their initial joy of their son back on Earth and working his way back into school, they decided to confront him why they found him passed out on the couch covered in bruises, cuts and an eye patch.

And sporting a more athletic bod.

Angie and Rafael looking worried at their son as they sat down in the living room, they could tell their son had an inkling of what was going to happen.

"Marco, I know we didn't want to ask when you first came back why you were so…hurt. You were so driven to go back to school so we let you be, but now that things have calmed we have to know." Angie said gently, Rafael touched her hand.

Marco looked guilty at the both of them, his eye patch had long since come off, revealing a wicked scar over his left eye.  
"I…I got into a fight with Star."

"Fight? Whatever for?"  
"Did she do that to you?"

Their horrified faces made Marco quickly speak up, "No, no! I—!"

"Marco." Angie said firmly, Rafael looked at him concerned, "We'll understand. When you wanted to go to Mewni, yes, Marco I know how to pronounce it, we trusted you would work out whatever you were going through. Why and how did it escalate to this?"

Marco hung his head caught so easily, it took a minute for him to muster up some courage before he spoke up again, "I…I went back to Mewni and I thought things would be the same: adventure, fun, good times…but when I got there, I was horribly mistaken. Mom, Dad, I did a lot of stupid things there. I thought being there would be no big deal and there would be nothing out of the ordinary between me and Star, we made up before I left…"

Angie saw him look at his hands, as if it held the answers but he later clenched it painfully, "When I got there, Star had moved on. She wanted to be a better princess, she got back with her ex-boyfriend Tom and I was sorta…lost in Mewni."

"Oh mijo…"  
"Why didn't you just come home?"

 _Come home? When I was such a dick to everyone here for weeks? My parents…my friends…my sensei…my now ex-girlfriend…how could I show my face?_

"I wanted it to work...I really did. I wanted things to be normal again with me and Star, but things kept happening…I became a squire and tried to do it but it was just a glorified pity position…then one thing after the other and before I knew it we just drifted so far apart…I felt so helpless there, I felt as if I served no other purpose than just goofing off, maybe that's all I did… then that holiday special…I planned Star's birthday but it went horribly awry, we said and did things…that made it very clear where we stood."

"But you spent your birthday there, didn't you have a party? Didn't you have fun?"

Marco laughed mirthlessly, his parents flinched and he just shook his head sadly, closing his eyes, "It…was a horrible 15th birthday Mom…Kelly tried to cheer me up, but it really…it really hurt having it thrown to your face."

Marco felt tears roll down his face, his parent walked over and hugged him, regretting their decision to let Marco go back to Mewni, "What happened?"

Marco shook his head, he understood why he was upset with the denizens of Mewni, but his parents

"Marco, tell us please."  
"Mijo."

Again Marco refused.

Angie got a hold of Marco, tilting his miserable face at her. She wanted to know, she wanted to know what made Marco want to shut out his problems from them, he was open with them before and now he wanted to bottle it up inside.

"It's okay, Marco, we'll listen." She said softly.

Marco painfully recounted his day at the beach with Tom, Kelly and Star, confronting Tad who told him a deep and agonizing truth at what he saw, the events that led up to the Monster Ball Bash, meeting his teachers, his adventures and ultimately the day he left. Angie and Rafael were aghast at the emotional turmoil he experienced. Then the latter they couldn't believe Marco was capable of doing half the things he did, he risked his life and limb as if it was a normal occurrence and it got worse when he basically fought the police of the dimension.

Marco got ready and expected his parents to explode on him...  
the disappointment  
the disbelief  
the chastise  
the worse.

He felt his mother hug him, Angie crying atop of him, "Oh Marco…"

"You're not angry…?"

Rafael sat next to him, "Marco, you're a good boy, a good son, your mother and I know you wouldn't hurt another without cause. Even then you didn't hurt them that badly. How deep did you put this, uh, Optimus Prime into the ground?"

"Deep enough, dad." Marco chuckled at the name his father used.

"Marco, we don't fully understand why things went the way it did in Mewni, but you do. I know you'll make things right."

Marco sighed deeply feeling his soul a bit lighter, his parent hugged him,

"Thank Mom, Dad. Thanks for not…"

Angie didn't hear the rest as she pulled Marco into a warm embrace, his face hidden, she gave Rafael a concerned look, as he did. Whatever Marco had done definitely was no small incident in Mewni, someday it would rear its head and they sincerely hoped Marco would be ready.

That they as a family would be ready.  
Their thoughts drifted to the recent addition to the household.

Star Butterfly seemed just like any other foreign exchange student when she first arrived they were smitten with her, Marco and her had initially been on rocky ground but they became fast and the best of friends, partners in crime by Raphael. But extravagant things happened around her and while they took it in good stride, the night Star left they saw how much she meant to their son.

When he went back to Mewni, came back and then left again, by then the two sincerely hoped that their son would work out whatever he was going through but it seemed things got more complicated.

The two parents were startled when Marco spoke up again,

"Mom, Dad. I know what I said was troubling but I need to leave again."

The two parents looked at him surprised, "But Marco, I thought going to Mewni would be dangerous for you?"

"No, I'm not going to Mewni…remember my teachers? They are on Mewni yes, but they have friends in other dimensions, I'm going to them for advice and wisdom for my situation."

They were less that ecstatic at the words.

"How long would you be gone? You have school now, you can't be skipping it."

"I know, I'll only go after school and weekends when I have no schoolwork or any commitments, if we have to attend a party or a gathering I promise I will stay put, family always come first."

Angie and Raphael were worried, even though Marco had a rather violent ousting from Mewni, it didn't seem to dampen his desire to cross into dimensions. If anything there was an eager glint in his eyes.

"Marco, are you going to other dimensions for other purposes?"

He paused, before he nodded, "Yes."

"What is it?"

"I don't know just yet."

That wasn't the answer either parent was expecting or sufficient to say the least.

"Will crossing dimensions make you feel better after what happened between you and Star?"

"Honestly…I don't know…"

Angie looked at her husband, a loss for words, he patted him on the back, "Marco, I understand." He looked at him so did Angie, "That Jackie girl dumped you and your partner in crime is in a relationship, you're looking for someone."

"You're right I'm looking for someone but not like that Dad."

"Raphael, our son is not looking for _inspiration_." Angie stressed the last word. Marco couldn't help but laugh.

"Seriously, Mom, Dad, I'm not going to find girls so I can forget about Star, it's just something I have to do. It will help me unwind from all the things I got myself into, clear my head if anything else."

"By getting yourself into someon—something else?" Raphael corrected himself, Angie glared at him.

"Dad, I promise I'm not going to do anything remotely dangerous, just find those wise friends of my teachers, maybe check up on some friends and be back home."

Angie and Raphael looked at each other, Angie sighed before looking at Marco as motherly as possible, "Just promise not to bring too many girls home."

"MOM!"

"Marco, you are a very handsome boy. A Don Juan even."

Marco gave them an incredulous look, suddenly aware the two gave him permission to dimension hop so long as he was safe. And dating. At the very least he wouldn't need to sneak Kelly into the house.

 **[Later that night]**

Angie couldn't help but sigh turning on side, Raphael next to her in their bedroom, "Honey? What's the matter?"

"Oh, just Marco and Star. How could they just…do a 180? They were so good to each other, now they are like cats and dogs."

Raphael hugged his wife.

"Marco is trying to understand his feelings, he's growing up and he is bound to make mistakes, weren't we like that?"

Angie hummed and turned to face him, "I know, I know. But Raphael you didn't fight the police. Or watch me kiss another guy."

 **[PAUSE]**

He was dead silent.  
Angie poked him.

" _Raphael_."

"O-Of course not!" he laughed nervously.

* * *

He ran and dived for cover as bullets bore into the rock, he's hand fell for his holster before he cursed: his pistol was gone. He cursed again when a gust of dirt and gunpowder fleck above him, he tugged his hood over his head, keeping the debris off.

He sure the route was free from bandits and vagabonds, but even in the Wasteland nothing was ever peaceful. Or boring.

He sighed as he kick back and waited for the bullets to pause, no point griping about a missing pistol, he still had his trusty blade, when the time was right he would just slew them. He just gotta stay alive until then and NOT get the drop on.

He glanced at the sky, it was a smoky orange and gray, it was nearing dark and that was around the time no one daft would travel through the place, too many hungry critters looking for a meal. He saw a pair of yellow eyes looking at him from a crevice and he grinned, he offered a hand,

"C'mon…that's it…lend me your poison." He smiled when the critter came into the light: a rip viper. It slithered closer and closer, he could see the coldness in it's eyes.

"See them varmins? Been trying to tan my hide." He mustered up an accent, the viper glanced at the direction then back to him.

"Give them a nasty surprise?"

The viper seemed uninterested at the suggestion, it began to slither away, "Wait, wait, wait! Please, help a tired guy out! I promise a better place than that crevice."

The viper paused before slithering to him, it raised itself to look directly at him, boyish eyes meeting cold-blooded killer.

It stuck out it's fork tongue before darting for the gunmen, already having stop firing and waiting for him to flee. He smirked; they were in for a nasty surprise.

He pulled his blade and rubbed a smudge off the edge before he heard a yelp, eagerly leaping from his hiding place, he ran quickly, he laughed as they panicked, three of them and one had the viper on his crotch.

He jumped high and drove his boot into one's jaw and sending him rolling down the cliff side and slashed the other across the face, he howled in pain. The last one yanked the viper off and tried to stomp it but he threw his blade and it found itself between his eyes.

He panted at the grisly work, he picked up the viper before looting the bodies, "Sorry love, I'll get you patch up in a jiffy."

He paused when the viper hissed in his ear, he was careful and pulled the viper back, "Easy, I will do as I promised…"

He took the spare pistol and ammo from the bodies and any effects he deemed worth it before kicking the carcass down, he looked at his blade before walking away from the scene. He trudged through the Wasteland, he waved to others who had done the same, the piles of dead bodies littering the valley below, it was such a daily occurrence that the lawful just ignored the sight and smell.

The lawlessness of the Wasteland made it an ideal place to commit crime since no one wanted to play peacemaker unless they wanted to end up naked, dead and in the bottom of the valley.

And those who could, well, they had better things to do.

He smirked at the thought, he pet the viper as he walked up to one of the best establishments of the Wastelands: Sinful Sip. While law enforcement was near non-existent in the dimension and generally not a safe place to do business. It was an unspoken rule for anyone, rogue or wannabe peacekeeper, that attacking an establishment especially one that was a bar, that served good liquor at a reasonable price, would have their hide tanned by everyone in the vicinity without fear of legal prosecution.

You just don't fuck with good liquor.

He could smell the familiar savory scent of the bar from miles away, he happily took his time on the walk, seeing bikers and other bruisers go to the bustling watering hole. The viper hissed at the roar of bikes and loud chatter he petted it and nodded to the guard on duty, he glanced at the roof: two snipers lazily sipped their drinks and eyed him from their vantage.

Only the best shots were allowed above the bar, seeing as they would be the lookout and the first ones to assess troubling situations. He felt eyes on him, the viper got their attention and they knocked on the wood of the roof, he gulped when another guard came waltzing out of the door.

He looked at him before moving to the side.

He paused before walking in, the temperature inside was warm but not overbearing, he saw many tables and booths, the bar was the central focus and to a corner was some darts, a table for cards and gambling.

He moved towards the wide wall, the bounty board taking a good chunk of it, he looked at the many requests and bounties to be had. He glanced back to the bar, seeing the barmaid, servers and bussers walking about, he liked the uniform: casual bandit attire and they got to carry at least one pistol or dagger when things got frisky.

He caught the eye of the barmaid, she smiled demurely and he blushed. While he would have been happy to catch her eye among the many he knew better, he once saw her throw a patron head first through a window.

She was a beautiful brunette, hair tied in a tidy bun, her skin a creamy alabaster, soft angled ears, bright blue eyes and a bombshell for a body.

He felt a tap on the shoulder, he shook himself out of his love-struck face and saw it was a gruff looking guard.

"Long walk."  
"Sure was, hankering to wet my mouth."

The guard scoffed to the side, eyeing him up and down, he gestured to the side, "Sure it was, why don't you tell me about it."

He followed as the viper raised itself, the patrons gave him wary looks but continued to drink and eat, leaving him to his business. The guard pointed at the wall and he leaned against it, he could see he wasn't going to talk his way out, "You know, the owner of this fine establishment doesn't like snakes…especially rip vipers."

"I can't say why not, they make good pets." He tickled the viper.

"He makes liquor out of them. Gives the Hellfire Shots their 50/50 mortality rate."

Even the rip viper shrunk at the information.

The guard pointed at the cactus farm out the window, "Toss it there."

His face darken, the guard took notice, "I can't do that: I'm a man of my word."

"…fine. Take it up with StudMuffin."

The guard walked over to the side of the bar and knocked, he waited before wall glowed and a door appeared, he gestured to it, he looked at it before walking through, the guard muttered under his breath.

"Abandon hope…ye who enters through the employee entrance…"

He frowned as he walked through the hallway, it was so much bigger on the inside than the outside, he kept walking until the viper hissed and he turned to a doorway, there sat a rather foreboding figure, draped in darkness he could make out a porcelain skull mask.

He cautiously walked in, he waved, "Er, hi?"

"…"

"Are you…Studmuffin?"

"…"

"I was wondering if I could bring my rip viper in the bar."

"…"

"Uh…hello?"

"Why are you talking to a mannequin?"

He nearly hit the ceiling at the voice behind him, he grabbed his chest, breathing mercifully. A well-dressed rogue looked at him, he stood up and held the rip viper from lashing out, apparently he frighten the snake too. He flicked on a switch and the room illuminated, revealing a tidy study, nothing out of the ordinary other than the armor-garbed mannequin.

"I, uh, came here to talk to StudMuffin."

"…right. And you are?"

He felt like the rogue was studying him, "…I'm Marc."

"Well, Marc, welcome to the Sinful Sip. He's not here."

"Oh. Thanks."

The rogue peered down on him, he felt a little intimidated by him.

"So why don't you tell me about how you killed those shit stains over yonder. Fancy stabbing and snake speaking you got there."

Marc's face tighten, the rogue just looked at him as if he wasn't the least bit threaten by him or the viper.

"They wanted to kill me. I killed them instead." Marc growled.

The man carelessly shrugged as if already expecting the answer, "That's how it works in the Wasteland. Just so you know…we don't tolerate that kind 'behavior' in this fine establishment. We'll drop you faster than you can regret it."

Marc nodded, taking the open threat to heart. He glanced at the suit of armor of StudMuffin, it was impressively built and most likely handmade, just like any rogue living in the Wasteland worth their salt. The mask though…it looked foreboding enough that even the wild critters would likely steer clear of the rogue.

"C'mon…best not stay in his office."

"He's not here?"

Marc never received an answer as his vision suddenly went dark.

 **XxXxXxXxX**

* * *

Tada, another update.

...yay.

Ciao,  
I AM NRG

 **END OF TRANSMISSION**


	4. Chapter 4

.  
 **DISCLAIMER: Exposition like a mo fo**

 **Chapter 4**

Fodder

 **XxXxXxXxX**

"WHY STUDMUFFIN! WHYYY!?"

"Forget that, RUN!"

The two ran through the doors, the occupants blasting at the two as they ran down the path, Adder looked back and ducked when a hatchet came for his neck. Studmuffin rolled to the side as a hail of bullets peppered the ground he tread, Adder cursed as the two ran further and further down the dirt path for their destination: the plane hanger.

The two dived for the building, avoiding more fire from the chasing bruisers, bandits and fly boys', the two quickly sized up the planes all lined up for them to 'borrow'.

"Can you fly these junkers?"

"Course I can, StudMuffin, I can fly anything!" Adder replied irritated.

"Good. Fly that one."

He pointed at the last airplane, the pilot looked at him, "Why the fuck do we fly the one that has no guns?"

"Because it's faster without it."

.

"Damnit, I told you it wasn't faster!"

StudMuffin glanced at the tailing planes, each of them firing viciously at them, the plane they chose was reminiscence of a Fokker Dr. I, excepted someone decided to pull out it's armaments, leaving it naked.

Still, with the head start they had, they made good distance, unfortunately the planes were catching up quickly, _must have better engines…maybe one less person on the plane_. He braced himself as the plane took high level maneuvers to dodge enemy fire, if they weren't being chased, the scenery would have been quite the sight.

Islands and mountains.  
The occasional majestic lobster leaping out from below them.

"So…what do you have on you?"

"Stud, you know I only carry the standard issue pistol!"

"That's enough, hand it over."

"NO! Gosh damnit, Stud why are you like this?!"

He shrugged before taking out his own and carefully aiming, he began to fire at the enemy fliers, he missed most of them but that got them to hang back, realizing they could be fired upon instead. But StudMuffin managed to get two miraculously, causing their engines to smoke. They soon fell out of sight underneath the clouds.

"I know you have a policy and all, but those guys are going to a gorge filled to the neck with man eating lobsters, you know! Shooting them in the head would have been preferable!" Adder yelled over the screaming winds.

"I think it's fair really."

"…is this about them laughing at your name?"

"No… yeah it is."

The pilot kept his thoughts to himself as they flew by the many floating land slabs, it was a weird dimension, land floating and clouds at ground level, it might as well been fog. The remaining fliers however did not heed the sharp shooting prowess of the Stud and continued to shoot at the two, Adder sighed as they dodged the blistering firepower of the planes.

"C'mon Stud, just fire back! Why are you even waiting for?"

"The right moment…there! Go past that, I'm taking them all out one time."

The pilot gulped and got the plane to maneuver to the place StudMuffin pointed, he looked at it: two land slabs with a land bridge. StudMuffin pushed himself up from the cockpit, he scowled for a moment.

 _IGNIS!_

"HANG ON!"

The pilot immediately did a barrel roll to dodge the bullets, he glanced back at the fliers, StudMuffin nowhere to be seen,"FUCK!"

Stud looked at the clouds below, then up again, the pilot was diving for him, he looked and saw the fliers coming, ready to pepper him,

"…perfect."

Stud thrust both hands out and several fire balls spewed forth flying past the plane and smashing into the land bridge; bringing chunks and boulders down on the enemy planes, smashing them to pieces.

He felt a grin on his face before he realized he was still falling, _ugh…I wonder if it's too early to have lobster today…_

Stud saw the plane power dive after him, he faced the clouds and let a steady stream of fire out of his hands, slowing his descent. An ungodly yank followed and he found himself on the plane again, the pilot shaking from head to toe,

"DAMNIT! DON'T DO THAT!"

"…ah, sorry, it was safer if I was—"  
"OUT OF THE PLANE!?"

He paused before apologizing, the pilot nearly had a heart attack .

"What would have done if I didn't get you!?"

"…fly?"

"Fucking smart ass…"

.

"So how's tagging along with StudMuffin?"

"IT SUCKED. WE DIDN'T EVEN FINISH THE MISSION, FUCK WE JUST GOT INTO TROUBLE."

"Ah, so the usual."

The pilot sighed before throwing his jacket to the table, "Yeah, I guess. Dude, I was this close, _this close_! I could tell she was digging me! The way she looked, biting her lower lip, ooh!"

"…"  
"So tell me how she wanted to talk to StudMuffin, Adder."  
"Hey. No one likes being used as a segway, Ringo."

"Where is StudMuffin?"

Adder jut a finger towards the back, "A kid came in here with a Rip Viper, so StudMuffin is dealing with it. You know how he is with snakes…"

.

Marc blinked mercifully as the bag was taken off his head, the viper also had a bag taken off its head, _really? Even the snake? I mean the bite is lethal but…_

He glanced around seeing he was in a rather darken room, most likely a cellar smelling an earthy scent and the damp atmosphere, the viper hissed. He blinked and glanced around...where did the person that yank the bag off their heads go?

"…hello?"

"…I heard you talk to snakes."

Marc looked to the side, the snake swung it's head, "…y-yeah I can."

"…who taught you?"

Marc folded his arms, he looked around before looking above, the lightbulb hung from a lone wire, giving him only so much light. He couldn't even tell how big the room was or where the voice was coming from.

"…just innate gift, that's all."

"Bullshit. Who walks up to snake and talk to them."

Marc frowned, the viper even glanced at him.

"And if someone taught me?"

"…"

Marc stood up, he didn't even know who he was talking to, all he knew was the moment he got to the office he got snatched, he gritted his teeth. He patted his belt and pants, feeling for any of his effects, he growled finding them gone, he looked around, seeing nothing beyond the darken room.

"Why am even in here?! Is this how you treat your patrons?"

"…"

"HELLO!?"

Marc looked around, angry at being ignored when he heard loud scuffling, mostly likely in the next room, his heart hammered when yelling rang out against the walls.

"What do you mean he's not there? What do you mean 'in here'?"

"Not here! In there! It's not Tilva there!"

"WHERE?!"

"IN THERE WITH THE BOY!"

Marc felt his gut drop.

"KID THERE'S SOMEONE ELSE IN THERE WITH YOU!"

"!"

The light went out.

Marc heard something step behind him and he didn't waste a second, throwing himself at whoever was with him.

A kick to the gut sent him flying back, the snake hissed before a dull thud confirmed it was sent flying somewhere in the darkness. Marc rolled to his feet, he took a defensive stance as someone was quietly stepping closer to him in the darkness, _Fuck, fuck, FUCK! How the fuck—!_

Marc grunted as something collided with his leg, immediately he tried to block against a follow up but instead something hit his front and he bounced off the wall. He yelled, throwing punches and kicks any where he could, his fist making contact with the wall and he cursed outright.

"FUCK THAT HUR—!"

This time something smacked him across the face and he fell to the floor. For a brief second, he swore he suddenly had night vision instead it was the hot flashes of him landing on his nuts.

"Uurgh…fuck you."

A step towards him.

Marc angled himself before kicking hard where he assumed the asshole that he was fighting, he made solid contact and the assailant fell to the ground and he scrambled to get on top of him.

"FUCK! YOU! BAS! TARD!"

Each punch he felt something give, but he didn't care. He punched harder and harder, feeling the resistance give, before he realized something liquid and sticky was coating his fist. His opponent not moving at all.

"Oh…shit…I think I just killed someone…"

He felt something slither to across his leg and he immediately leapt up, a loud hiss made him walk back, "Sorry, sorry! It's dark! I can't see! Please don't bite me, you bit that flea bitten rogue earlier I don't want his germs more than your poison."

He panted wiping his forehead before he realized he must of smeared himself with bodily fluids of his enemy, _shit…I'm about to be found covered in blood…this can't get any worse._

Suddenly light spilled into the room, Marc used his hand to block the invasive light as the rogue he spoke to stood at the doorway, he looked confused, Marc blinked before seeing the fluids covering his hands.

"Holy shit, Marc…"

"IS IT?!"

"…what?"

"IS THIS SHIT?!"

The rogue looked at him as Marc's eyes began to adjust, he looked at the room, seeing it stained with brown and the snake against the lit wall, judging him. Not seeing the dastard he was fighting earlier.

"No. That's mud."

"…"

.

Marc glared at the man sitting behind the desk: StudMuffin.

His face obscured by the porcelain skull mask, but that didn't matter to Marc, this asshole put him in a room with apparently a mud person.

"So Marc—"

"I walk into your bar. Sent to your office like a child. Snatched. Put in a room with a mud guy, who beat me every time I made a noise with a rip viper who could kill me. It better be a good fucking reason for this!"

Marc suddenly found himself pressed against the wall, the skull mask dangerously close to his face, his voice painful low, "Your discomfort is noted, Marc. However, last time a person walked in with a rip viper, I had to pry that fucker out of a friend's neck and then spent the next three days beating answers out of the 'assassin'. So, Marc, I do apologize but you should have never brought that snake here in the first place."

He froze as StudMuffin let him go and he fell to the floor, he shook from the immense killer intent rolling off the rogue. He gulped as StudMuffin sat back down again, he meekly stood in front of the desk, any of his bravado and anger evaporated. Marc became very aware that he didn't even see StudMuffin stand up, move around his desk and pinned him agains the wall.

"Now, Marc, I know what you went through wasn't pleasant, but you as an apology you can have a drink at the bar on the house."

"…okay."

"You may leave."

"What about the rip viper?"

"Oh, that. Tossed it at the cactus farm, it will have mice for days."

Marc looked at him before the rogue pointed at the hallway, the moment he turned a bag was placed over his head followed by a swift cut to the neck. The rogue caught the unconscious body and carried him out to the bar.

StudMuffin sighed and took off the mask, he frowned at his reflection, "Damn…the boy has some potential, all that grit…"

He pulled open a drawer and rifled through his belongings, he pulled a folder

 **HISS**

He caught the rip viper by the neck just before making contact with his naked hand. It flexed it's jaws, fangs coated with venom, his grip however was iron. He looked at the glass pickle jar he stuffed it in and saw that it made itself a hole.

"…thought so."

The viper wrapped around his heavily armored arm, attempting to squeeze but it was a pitiful, slowly it began to calm and he leveled with it.

"You really are tenacious…"

The viper looked at him with slitted eyes,

"This isn't over SSSSStudMuffin…the SSSSSnake…"

StudMuffin looked at it, "Getting a kid mixed up with our little affair…you are stooping to new lows."

The viper hissed, "SSSSSilence, I'll kill you! Child murderer!"

StudMuffin smirked at the accusation, "Yes, something as vile as you would be proud of your OWN children killing helpless villagers, traders, travelers and pilgrims especially when they are 30 feet long and as thick as a log."

The viper tried to twist out of his grasp, it was futile, the snake gave him a withering glare, "Death to you, SSSSStudMuffin! May your life be nothing but ssssstrife and regret!"

He nodded before the viper went limp, his hand tighten enough to crush everything within it. A second later, fire erupted and licked the viper's body, coming from his own fist, the putrid smell of flesh burning stank up his office and he calmly walked to the window and tossed the flaming corpse.

The moment it touched the ground, the flaming snake grew in size, he looked at it with contempt. The Rip Viper grew and grew before a young maiden stood in front of him, however where her legs should have been was a long olive serpentine tail.

StudMuffin looked at her for a moment, "I will never ssssstop—"

She doubled over, feeling a searing pain in her belly, StudMuffin's hand outstretched with flames dancing around his fingertips, the other hand had a dagger, the blade a blistering cherry red.

"Should have ran when you had the chance."

The maiden coughed then chuckled before she fell over, a fist size hole blown through her abdomen. Without even a backwards glance, he threw a handful of smoldering blue flames and the body was cooked to a charred carcass for the critters to feast upon.

.

Marc drank his choice of liquor, deciding if he going to get something for free it might as well be top shelf and it was coming out of StudMuffin's wallet. He looked at the questionable amber liquid,

 _This is the best they have…? Weak…_

He blinked several times, he shook his head like it would lessen the alcohol in his system, he could already feel the numbness in his fingertips and blurry vision, _fffuck…I'm already smashed._

He felt his head swivel at sudden noises around the bar, it didn't go unnoticed as the barmaid gave him a knowing smirk before she straighten up, he blinked before a blurry StudMuffin sat next to him reading a bounty before looking at him, "Ah. Kiss of Blight. Good choice."

"Fuck mannn…this shit is s-strong."

He shook his head at the kid, "Duh. That thing was made with diseased fruits, spices and grains. It'll fuck you up."

Marc looked at the glass, sloshing it around, "You killed the snake didn't you…" "It's at the cactus farm."

"B-bullssshit." Marc down the entire glass before setting it down with a loud thud, StudMuffin merely shrugged, "You should be careful about playing with snakes."

Marc grunted as he propped himself against the bar, trying to stave off his absurdly quick drunken state, "It was a good pit viper…" "Find a better one, preferably one that doesn't have evil children."

Marc didn't understand.

"…you owe meee."

"You have a drink, that's plenty." Stud was looking at the bounty again, bored.

"…from that ass beating, your mud guy gave me…you own dis bar right?"

"Co owner." he sighed.

"How about da crew? I want innn." Marc slurred.

StudMuffin shook his head still not looking at him, "I admit you're good, but you're too young to be in one. Go back to mommy and daddy."

Marc glared at him when he stood up and left, walking behind the bar, the barmaid chuckled before putting a lesser drink in front of Marc, "Tis on the house, cutie."

He blinked before grinning, _two free drinks...not bad._

StudMuffin greeted his employees going in and out of the busy stations before seeing the well dressed rogue leaning against a doorway, "He's got potential."

"Everyone does. This is for the gang, if they're up to it, Rhunter."

The rogue took it before he sighed, shaking his head, "You know this is the type of missions they hate, right?"

"When the moneys good, who cares?"

Rhunter looked at his partner before shaking his head, "I guess...nothing beats that logic."

.

Queen Moon walked through the castle, gone were her usual royal gown now she wore her combat fatigues more often than not. She was usually flanked by her advisors and council but after the recent assault to the kingdom the naggers were resting in the hospital wing, she sighed, if that was the only casualties.

The Butterfly Kingdom had been experiencing raids, mostly minor ones that the knights could handle, but the one that happened months ago really shook her and the kingdom up. Somehow a group of hooded individuals, she had to stop assuming it was monsters by now, slipped through the security detail and very much breach the castle. What struck her odd was they took Mewman hostages and fled with them in tow, despite her chase and blasting magic at them they gave her the slip in the Forest of Certain Death.

She would have leveled the forest but knew it would be folly: outcast Mewmans and monsters hid there, that would just further give reason for the other kingdoms to slander or reject any dealings with her kingdom. She went to the Ludo's Family for help, she was turned away at the doorway fearing association to her would later be targets for disgruntled parties.

Dennis however did help her, informing her that parts of the forest was under control by hateful monsters and even Mewmans that were ostracize by society and even by the bleak economic division and other more devious reasons. Still not convinced she searched the place with Dennis going incognito, however that lasted for only hours, they were quickly found out, Moon anyways. The two escaped the swarm thankfully alive and uninjured, Dennis managed to conceal his identity the entire escapade.

However, apologized to the Queen if he would decline to do it again.

Since then Moon prayed that those who were taken would still be alive, it was painful to just leave them but to go there again or send someone to find them…would put the hostages in peril. It was an awful feeling of being powerless, she felt like she was her younger self when her mother died, unable to act lest someone got hurt.

 _"What can I do? I can't send a Mewman agent, I can't send a monster allied to the kingdom, somehow they know who is legit or not…I don't even know where they are hiding or want with the hostages! Not a ransom or—anything! WHY?"_

She tried to keep her thoughts from going morbid as she walked closer and closer to her study, with so many tutors and castle personnel hurt it fell to her to teach her daughter, Star.

Still headstrong and inexperience, Star shared some of her duties now, mostly just the minor domestic chores she used to do with her own mother. River took patrols when he could, after so many raids he was just paranoid one would sneak up on them when they least expected. Moon was glad her husband found something to do than party like he usually did before, those days were long behind them with how Mewni was.

She entered her study and saw Star on her own desk signing and writing things down, she looked up and smiled, "Mom! How are your boring cronies?"

"Alive, Star. And quit calling them that!" Moon reprimanded her daughter, "They might be 'boring' but they aren't cronies, they will surely be your advisors and council when the time comes and maybe even for your daughter. They'll outlive us all." she muttered the last part under her breath.

Star shrugged and continued to sign and do the paperwork, she looked at the papers before sighing, "Mom do we really need to find another Knight of the Wash? Why can't we just rescue Sir Lavabo and the rest that were kidnapped?"

"Star you already know the situation, you were with me the last time we went and checked: we couldn't see anything from above and it's foolish and dangerous to check on ground level. We will just have to find alternative ways to scout the forest."

"Mom, that will take forever! It's nearly been 6 months since they were taken! Who knows—!"

"Yes, Star, the bleak reality could be they are dead already and we are just going to be collecting their bones and telling their families why they are dead." Moon said quietly, Star bit back a retort, "But I rather not tally the dead with the both of us or anymore Mewmans if I can avoid it. This is not a good situation, Star, for anyone. The monsters and Mewmans are pointing fingers at each other and themselves, things will just escalate if we get hurt even covertly."

Star took a paper and shoved it forward, "And this is the solution? You've been asking Manfred to post up this all over the place, wouldn't that just draw attention?"

"I made it vague, anyone can assume anything." Moon said dismissively, "This is an age old practice, Star, this is even older than most kingdoms' existence."

Star frowned at the sight of it before she sighed and continued to work, "So when are you getting applicants?"

Moon glanced out of the window for a moment, they were triple reinforced with thick glass, something she forgot to tell Star when she attempted to smash through one, she hid the chuckle with a slight cough,

"Soon, I hope."

XxXxXxXxX

* * *

Revitalize.  
Kidding, I'm pooped from studying.

Now, that I have gotten most of the exposition out of the way, we can get to the meat of this fanfic: the second helping of fodder and exposition. Kidding ◉‿◉  
But in all seriousness, I think there's been enough of that already, it's time to debut where the real fun begins: fictional politics.

Ciao,

I AM NRG

 **END OF TRANSMISSION**


	5. Chapter 5

**.**

 **DISCLAIMER** : I can show u da wae

 **Chapter 5**

Think you can take me  
Don't forget me

 **XxXxXxXxX**

* * *

StudMuffin quietly studied the other mercenaries within the castle room, many of them strong and well versed in their craft, some of which he recognize from their emblem stamped to their armor or tattooed to their skin.

His eyes flicked to Tassa the Rifter, she was a sharpshooter and scout of renown.

He glanced to the right: Red Sieg, an infamous mercenary who specialize in overkill methods.

He knew that these mercenary while money drove them, they also wanted a challenge, no doubt they understood that something was going on in Mewni, and like any merc he followed his nose.

Where there was strife, mercenary's called it life.

He leaned back examining the rest of the batch: just the usual mercenaries looking for work and green horns looking to make a name for themselves. StudMuffin let the thought roll in his head, grinning under the mask, amused that he was once like that and that of Marc who probably wanted to be the same. Anyone could be a mercenary out in the dimensions, it wasn't difficult so long as you could do the job. Unfortunately, that gave rise too many wannabe ones.

Normally, the community would do something about them but they also had the habit of getting way over their heads and promptly died. Equilibrium achieved without anyone lifting their finger.

Still there was a lot of applicants, normally it was just whoever found the bounty first and then taking or decline the job when arrived, but it seemed that the contractor wanted something more than the bounty led on. StudMuffin was curious why be so secretive, then again revealing weakness publicly often led to a coup soon afterwards. He wanted more information, he could leverage it to make a killing or sell the information and rake in the dough.

StudMuffin sighed, watching one merc enter a door flanked by two beefy knights with wicked halberds, not to be seen afterwards, _hmmm, one way one exit, smart. If they decline or accept we won't know, they also stop information leaking to us waiting, so we're all blind going in…clever system._

He ignored most of the mercenaries until Tassa and Red Sieg got their turn, he watched them carefully, trying to decipher if they were tense, on guard or any other tell that would help him gauge the situation.

The two walked in with their own style of swagger, he rolled his eyes, _typical Tassa. Sieg needs work._

StudMuffin mentally counted how long each one of them were apart, it fell within 7 minutes between each one.

 _Looks like they didn't like what they heard…_

"Alright—you there, you're next."

StudMuffin stood up and walked in, the knight held up a hand, "No masks." "You're kidding."

The knight took a step closer, Stud held his breath, the stank was real, "TAKE. IT. OFF."

"No. Also breath mints."

"It's fine, just let him in!"

The knight glanced back before growling at him, "Move it!"

StudMuffin gave a mock bow, "Count your blessings."

The mercenary looked at the lavishly decorated room, again knights flanked the contractor, who sat behind a desk looking disgruntled. Stud stood in front of the kingdom's ruler, folding his arms at the sight of them, a glare followed.

The moment the doors closed behind him did the contractor speak to him, irritated, "You're already at a bad start with me, sellsword, I have half a mind to jettison you out of that window."

 _Half a mind, half a brain…that would explain a lot…_

StudMuffin nodded his head, feeling the familiar weight of his mask, "Yes, I suppose you could, my Queen."

She glared at the way she was addressed, "…I have a problem I want you to sort out. Immediately. It's the forest over yonder."

He stroked his chin for a moment, not really caring, he wasn't getting what he wanted: information, "Mhmmm, I dunno, that's a high order for an ambiguous reward…I don't even know what I'm going to do when I get there."

"You won't get the full details until you decide whether or not to take it."

StudMuffin's eyes flicked to the doors across the room, his eyes spying the many minute scuffles on the floor and the smeared handles on otherwise cleaned ones, he narrowed his eyes.

"Not a lot of luck, huh? Please, I can already tell the mercs didn't see it worth their time, otherwise you'd kick us all out now."

"And what if this was just a courtesy, hm? What if you're wrong and I needed more than one mercenary?" she spat.

StudMuffin scoffed, "If that was true then any mercenary interested would have declined. A dangerous bounty but having to work with others AND split the pay too? I'd just shoot the other merc in the back…or let them die doing your little chore."

The queen looked ready to blow her crown off.

The knights leveled their halberds at him.

"So, did any mercenary accepted it?"

"…"

"You can keep that scowl on your face, but it's not gonna help fix your problem."

"…"

StudMuffin looked at the queen for a moment, seeing her temple actually vein up, the scowl deepening, he could tell he pushed her just at the threshold. He silently sized up the guards, their armor thick but he was sure he could punch a hole through the both of them.

"Hm, dangerous or not, I do accept the contract, Queen Spiderbite."

It took a long minute for the queen to rein in her anger, she gave the knights a terse wave and they pulled their halberds back.

"…go to the forest and slay the Iron Bull Arachnids. All of it." she said quietly, still very much angry at the mercenary.

He bowed before walking to the door, the knights didn't budge for a moment before allowing him exit, he turned to the queen, "I don't want gold, I want something else arranged for my reward."

.

StudMuffin walked out of the kingdom, he saw Tassa and Red Sieg off to the side with their own crew, discussing the waste of time they had. He made it a point to not be seen in their line of sight but when they swaggered forward, he knew it wasn't gonna go his way.

"MuffinTop, I see you took her little contract."

"Hmph, still gonna do it?"

StudMuffin stopped and looked at them, "Killing a bunch of angry spider might be grunt work, but—"

"But nothing, MuffinTop! Knowing her, she's gonna hire even more mercenaries after you, that's a fucking colony out there, no way you're gonna kill them all. Just gonna piss 'em off!" Red Sieg gave a careless wave, Tassa was watching him intently.

He shrugged and pushes past the two, not caring as the two fling insults at his back. After 30 odd paces he put his hand into the dirt road and pulled out his duffel bag and dusted it from the soil before turning and disappearing into the Forest of Unlikely Spider Bites.

Tassa and Red Sieg looked at the lone mercenary vanish into the forest, before motioning the crew to leave,

"20 on him biting it." Sieg laughed as he walked away. Tassa pulled her hat off, glancing inside of it before putting it back on and leaving all the same.

.

He looked at the sky for a second, seeing fewer and fewer bright patches and rusty and dark shades overtaking it, a chill began to settle in.

"Hmmm, time for supper."

StudMuffin pushed deeper into the forest, he spent a good amount just getting himself lost in the forest, avoiding trails and purposely choosing a more treacherous route. He flicked his finger burning away thick cobwebs and brush before he found a nice clearing for him to stop for the night.

He put his duffel bag down before gathering a handful of branches and sticks, before tossing a handful of fire into it and tending to the bonfire, a trail of smoke wafting upwards. He took a piece of dried meat and held it by the fire, the succulent scent of meat and spices filling the mushy and damp air for a moment.

Picking and pulling on the darken parts of the meat, he chewed it as the night began to pull into the forest. The fire followed the breeze, StudMuffin looked up towards the sky, a thick canvas of black, not a single star twinkled above him.

He sighed before he continued to eat, taking his time chewing on the tasty meat.

He stopped when he heard something to his side, a shadow leaning against the tree, StudMuffin narrowed his eyes and resumed chewing, the fire still burning brightly.

"Sorry…been walking for…hours…" came a raspy reply, StudMuffin straighten up, his mask gleamed by the campfire.

"Understandable. Why don't you have a seat with me?"

"…don't want to…intrude…you're having a…good bite there though."

The mercenary chuckled, he held up the jerky to the shadow, "There's plenty, want a bite?"

The shadow cautiously walked forward, StudMuffin placed the meat on the shadow's outstretch hand, it closed around it.

"Ah, I recognize you now, you were with me at the interview. I guess I wasn't the only one."

The campfire didn't illuminate much of the surroundings but StudMuffin could see the tattoo on the shadow's hand when it darted back, the sound of chewing could be heard. StudMuffin's eyes looked upwards oh so slightly before resting on the shadow again, it was just at the edge of the campfire's brilliance, seemed like he was speaking to an outline than a person.

StudMuffin watched the shadow for a moment.

"Tastes good? It's a home blend."

"It's tasty."

StudMuffin stood up suddenly, a fireball on hand.

"Mhmmm, you said that so clearly, but I can still hear your mouth chomping!" He threw the fireball upwards and the sky shrieked in surprise allowing the star speckled canvas to be seen again, the shadow suddenly fell forward the jerky bounced on the ground, half eaten.

He glanced at the campfire and made it erupt, letting it grow and shining light all over his surroundings.

StudMuffin looked at the shadow sadly, it was a mercenary, however it had spider thread all over him and most horrifying was the fact the threads were coming out of the merc. He saw threads around the jaw, the neck, the torso, all over the body; it was sickening but clever, he looked up to see his real guest:

The Iron String Puppeteer Arachnid.

A devious spider, using it's threads, it could mimic speech and movement of its victim, even making it speak by wrapping threads around the torso forcing the corpse to breath in and out and around it's throat and vocal chords. This complex trick allowed it to sneak up on prey and get them to lower their guard, a beast capable of hunting the hunter.

The spider knew it was found and immediately fled, StudMuffin threw a fireball and it lit the canopy of the tree, he threw more before kicking dirt over the fire, grabbing his bag and ran after the spider as it scurried above the treetops.

Using a bright fireball as a guiding light, he sent more fireballs even as he traverse the terrain, uncaring whatever heard his actions. He let loose more and more before he ran ahead of the massive spider as it was throwing webs down the trees hoping to tangle him. Stud saw the spider ready to change directions before he slammed a fist down into the ground,

 _GNOME!_

Suddenly the ground groaned and rippled, the spider halted feeling the trees sway unnaturally before they began to fall forcing it to jump as they began to topple downwards.

 _IGNIS!_

The spider shrieked as fireball smashed into its side and fell to the wreckage below, writhing as the flames refused to go out. StudMuffin walked up to it, flames dancing around his hands,

"Easy spider, you don't want to be burned to a crisp." The fire receded.

The spider raised its front legs and brought it down, slender legs but strong enough to break bones, the mercenary avoided the attacks before fireballs raced towards the spider. Webs caught the flames in midair before it fled scurrying away on ground level, StudMuffin in quick pursuit.

He frowned when he realized it was carpeting the ground with webs, sticking him to it but a quick douse of fire stopped the trick and he was hot on it's fat butt, any rogue flames he distinguished. The spider almost lost him in the winding path and thick underbrush, however StudMuffin was determine to follow it back to its lair.

The spider began to slow, whether from fatigue or from the injuries it took from him, the mercenary got ready to fight. The fireball lit up brilliantly, casting a light to the surroundings, he stiffen seeing corpses and the like around the trees and some even hung or in a web bundle. He stopped following the spider, knowing he was where he wanted to be.

The Puppeteer Spider scurried underneath a fallen tree, StudMuffin made a ball of blue fire and sent it searing after it. The fire spread rapidly around it and didn't go out as the spider tumbled into it's own home and grave.

StudMuffin saw tendrils of smoke rise from the hole before he looked over the massive graveyard, the spider had been busy, he looked at some, seeing their attire and body structure and move back in disgust: Mewman and monster.

"I guess anything is on the menu when you're that big…" he said aloud, he frowned sensing something wrong.

He looked towards the sky, it was pitch black again. He frowned when spiders seemingly descend from it, all the size of the Iron String Puppeteer, although the main difference was horns growing out of it's legs and framing it head and body, eyes being protected.

StudMuffin waited for the spiders to all descend before the biggest of them all came lumbering forward, it's many eyes hatefully on him, instead of a dark coloration it looked more gray as if aged among its kind, "Interloper, you dare kill upon our lands!"

The mercenary made no reaction to the talking spider, even though he would have jumped back at the suddenness. He responded coolly to it, as if was just another person,

"I dunno about your lands but—"

Clicking.  
Angry clicking.

"We were here before any of you! All of you! Since the land was young we flourish here! We Iron Bull Arachnids were here before any you interloper races came and we will be here long after the dust blows from your bones! You come here spilling blood upon our lands, just like any other race: you have no honor!"

StudMuffin frowned and reached into his duffel bag pulling out a sword and pointed it at the lead spider, the rest loudly clack and clipped their jaws and struck their horns, making a ruckus but the merc ignored them, _a way to communicate no doubt…_

The sword was then pointed at the numerous webbed victims and dried out husks, "Your pretty words doesn't change the fact you have been wantonly killing and eating the denizens of this world. I can tell some of those victims were even close to the forest and you killed them all the same, you lying cow."

The spiders merely stared at him, the lead spider straightening up at the accusation. StudMuffin noticed the change and planted the sword down into the ground.

"Hmph, I see those so called rulers…so called 'Queen' and 'King' has finally found a worthy adversary for me…my kind has warned them time and time again to stop laying claim to which is not their own. What have they promised you, interloper?"

"I haven't decided but while we're being civil let's swap names, I hate to be called an 'interloper' and no doubt you dislike the name 'cow' for the rest of this conversation."

The spider clicked it jaws, "Ah your banter, it would be a shame to just eat you now…"

"…StudMuffin. And yours…?"

The spider drew itself up proudly seemingly bigger than before,  
"Skya Karak the Exalted One."

"Alright, Skya Karak, now that we are on speaking terms, why don't you just crawl back into your mud hovels and stay there, lest you face my wrath."

The following cascade of clicking, he took for laughter, even Skya Karak seemed to be amused by it, "As if you could make good on that threat! What cheek! I will admit, taking out that little spider is no easy feat…but fighting a full grown Iron Bull Arachnid, ah, now that's another story."

The spider took a step closer, it's entire body nearly bearing down on the mercenary before it began to circle him, "Hmph, you are not frighten nor intimidated by the sheer number or your foe. Brave to be sure but very stupid."

StudMuffin sighed, "You're boring me to death, daddy long legs, why don't you try to attack me so I have the excuse of killing you and all of your kin."

Skya Karak faced him again, "We will not bow to lesser creatures than ourselves, StudMuffin, tell that your rulers. If they send their champions into the forest, we will make meals out of them."

He looked at it for a long time, "I guess negotiating is over huh?"

"Count your stars, warrior, not many gets to walk away from an Iron Bull Arachnid with all his limbs. Now leave my sight, my forest and pray that you never come back here again…or I will have your corpse be grub for my children."

"Hmph, it would look bad if I go back empty handed…I still have a quota to fulfill, maybe a dozen of your corpse will please the Queen." StudMuffin took of his mask and smiled widely at the spider, his confidence exuding that even the spider hesitated for a moment.

StudMuffin expected an attack, but when the ground literally flipped open revealing an Iron Trapdoor Arachnid, he was taken back. The rest of them scurried away to the sides as the massive spider tried to drive its massive fangs into him. One spider fell into the pit.

 _GNOME!_

Hand on sword, the earth door froze in the air before it came crashing back down on the massive spider, one leg snapping off, spinning and battering down unfortunate spiders in it's path.

For a brief second the spiders just stared at the mercenary that easily slammed the trapdoor down on the spider that uses it. StudMuffin shoved the mask back on and as if on cue all of them scurried away, suddenly aware they just pissed off him off.

StudMuffin ran forward as the spiders suddenly found themselves being overturned by a force from underneath, the ground protruding stalagmites. The more nimble and wary ones leapt or using the web to flee while the least expecting found a blistering hot sword hacking through their legs, thorax or abdomen.

Some stood fast, leaping and throwing web, the mercenary took them on, fire cloaking his body and dancing along his sword he slash into the spider, the sword sometimes bouncing off the horns and armor when he aimed for the eyes.

Rolling to avoid a stampeding one, plunging his sword into the second that attempted to do the same before he pulled out his trusty pistol and began to fire. He grunted when the bullets missed soft flesh and slammed into the horns, producing a sharp tone.

He lost his pistol when one managed to ram into him a tree, it's many hairs felt like needles, puncturing through his clothes and into him pricking his flesh. He made a fistful of flames and punched into the spider only to have it bounce off, he grunted moving his body to avoid its palp and chelicera from bludgeoning him.

He tried again, this time managing to sear into the spider and it writhed as its insides bubbled. StudMuffin grunted as the spider went through its death throes before it fell dead, he punched it and a leg twitched.

The shriek and clicking that echoed earlier seemed like a distant memory, the roasting smell of spider flesh and overturn dirt however was fresh and overbearing.

StudMuffin pushed the spider off him, feeling blood staining his clothes underneath, he casually flicked a hair on the spider and wobbled like a wire, _no wonder they call them 'iron horns' even their damn hair feels like metal…_

He looked at the carnage he wrought: clipped nearly half a dozen down, but the rest had already fled back into the forest and darkness, no doubt licking their wounds, he was sure he hurt plenty of them.

All around him were dead spider.  
Except for the lead spider, it watched him from above on a tree.  
It could have easily struck him down while he was dealing with that one spider.

"That wasn't one of your kin, Skya Karak, was it?"

"…no, even our kind would eat each other given the chance. That's life at it's cruelest. And best."

StudMuffin looked at the spider, he could only imagine how old it was, "Take your dead, I'm sure you want to bury them."

"Hoping to kill me, too?"

He shook his head, "Even enemies can respect each other."

The spider chuckled, "I don't think so…they are your kill, your trophies, you best show them the honor they deserve, for we will just consume their flesh and toss their carcass somewhere. Alive they are my sons and daughter, my children, my warriors…dead and they only serve as sustenance for my ilk. Take them, StudMuffin. And tell that Queen that you fought fang and venom and that you would not take another request like this again."

StudMuffin looked at the ancient spider, understanding what it wanted and he nodded, agreeing to the arrangement. It looked at him for a moment before prying a tip of its horn off its leg and tossed it below before disappearing into the darkness.

He looked at the fallen spiders, he looked for the spider with his sword and pulled it free and began his grisly work.

* * *

StudMuffin stood in front of Queen Spiderbite, behind him were six dead spiders bleeding in the courtyard, she stared at them in amazement and revulsion. Her eyes shifted to each one, seeing some charred and others horribly disfigured, her eyes fell back to the mercenary, looking tired and reasonably dirty.

She looked for the right words to say,

"You didn't do what I asked."

"…"

The present knights looked on, knowing that kind of answer would instigate a very unruly mercenary. Their weapons gleamed in the sunlight, ready to be drawn and leveled in a moment's noticed.

"With all due respect, I went into your forest and dealt with the spiders the size of a cow. I didn't do _everything_ you asked but I sure as feck will be compensated for my troubles." He said calmly, even though his hand rested on his weapons.

The queen narrowed her eyes as she approached looking at the spiders with great interest, she ran a hand down the horns, feeling the rigid hair, the injuries inflicted. StudMuffin didn't bother keeping his eyes on her, he let her circle him and his trophies like a vulture, before coming back forward.

"Mhmmm, seeing how injured you are and seeing these spiders without them mashed to a pulp does satisfy me in some capacity…name your price, I will refute any unreasonable rewards, sellsword."

StudMuffin gave a slight head tilt.

"I want something good to eat, somewhere nice to rest and when ready, transportation or a portal to a destination of my choice."

The queen closed her eyes for a moment, giving the impression of thinking over his reward. In actuality it was a bargain for his work, those spiders killed almost every person she sent, what he asked was paltry.

"Alright, I find your terms…just about acceptable. You may eat in the royal hall, rest in a lavish inn and at noon I will send you on your way."

She didn't wait for him to agree, the queen turned and left, knights flanked her side while the rest took the spiders away for examination. The mercenary didn't move for a moment and looked at one of the towers before moving on.

.

He found his way to the royal hall, taking a seat on one of the feast table, the cook came and asked what he would like.

"Whatever you already have readily available, no need to be so extravagant." The cook nodded at the request, "Something just below a royal function." The cook paused before nodding again.

"Let me see what I can do."

The cook hurried away, also sporting a spider bite on his ear, the mercenary noted it and took out a small journal, cataloging his jobs and other dubious transactions he made. He jotted down lines after lines for half an hour before he snapped it shut just as someone trend closer, trying to sneak a peak over his shoulder.

"Yes, can I help you?"

"Ah. Um, those spiders were really big that you brought in…I doubt those are the ones that usually bit us."

StudMuffin turned his head to look at Penelope Spiderbite before turning back, "Yes, spiders that size crawling around your kingdom, kinda hard to miss, wouldn't you think?"

He felt the simmer of the princess at the reply, "Ugh, you're filthy, where have you been."

"Everywhere. I was in a forest earlier. Got spider guts and blood on me. Nice musk wouldn't you agree?"

"Quit being gross."

He shrugged as he leaned back, looking at the princess, she frowned seeing his mask: a porcelain skull, there were chips and dings on it, it had seen it's fair share of wear.

"What's up with that mask?"

"It keeps my pretty face from being ruined."

"Or someone seeing your ugly mug."

He laughed before taking it off, she frowned seeing a dirty face in need of a good wash, "Ugh, put it back on."

He smirked before shaking his head, "I don't think so, I'm going to eat."

As if on cue two servants walked up to him and put down a plate and his meal: thick slices of bread and crust with a side of butter, a well cooked steak slathered with a handful of cooked shrimp, a bowl of cut greens, fruit and nuts, a buttered Mewni corn cob, a plate of cheese and two chalices one with water and the other rich wine.

Penelope raised her brow as the mercenary began to tuck it in, "You're eating well. I'm sure your pay was just as good."

"This is [chewing] my pay."

She looked at it, "Nothing extravagant? How about dessert?"

He looked up thoughtfully, "I don't know any of the kingdom's desserts."

She looked over to the cook, she made a familiar gesture and he nodded, "That's alright, I made an order, you can have some if you tell me where you've been."

StudMuffin chewed his food thoughtfully speaking between bites, "Where I have been is nothing special. Jumped through dimensions, took jobs, mostly out in the Wastelands, it's real fun out there."

"Is that place is lawless. And really dangerous."

"If you do stupid things, yeah. I have fun there, always meet new people and wannabe mercs."

He continued to eat and answer Penelope, who eventually sat across him, asking all sorts of questions. She studied his face but it didn't bother him too much, he liked the food he was eating, besides everyone tended to do that.

"You're young." "Mhmmm."

"But you really need a bath." "Hear hear."

"You could be pretty handsome underneath all that filth." "Or not."

Penelope pouted before the servant came again, putting a tasty slice of pie in front of them, the buttery flakes, the sweet aroma of fruit and nuts and generous dash of cream on top.

"Yummy."

StudMuffin gave it a look and she grinned, pulling it back, "Looks good, right? Maybe you should have asked for some."

"You did offer."

She hummed before sliding it back forward, "Well, go on, have a taste."

He smiled before taking his fork and taking a piece, he chewed it tasting the sweet, the tart and the underlying spice, it was pretty good. She smiled before helping herself, "Is StudMuffin your real name?"

"Yup, ma really knew I was going to be quite the looker."

She hummed and the two continued to eat their respective meals, having their fill of talking.

.

StudMuffin looked at his watch, seeing he had just about two hours of sleep before he had to be in front of the queen again. He sat on the bed, he asked for the smallest but nicest room they had at the inn and he wasn't disappointed with it. He had put his bag down before patting down the bed, a little habit he got after living in the lawless Wastelands for so long.

Never know when someone would put a Rip Viper in your sheets as a 'prank'. He flopped on it, not bothering washing up, he earned his sleep and he wasn't gonna waste any more of it getting clean.

He let the sleep overtake him.

The birds and the bustle of the kingdom were low, only thing audible was StudMuffin's peaceful breathing.

His watch ticking on his wrist as he slept on. Something scurried across it. Light on it's feet and deceptively quiet, it carefully tread upon the mercenary's arm before settling on ihis chest, its eyes fixed on him.

It showed it weapons for a second and a hand quickly snatched it, the spider huddled in the palm, "I should have known this place shouldn't have gotten that 5 Star ratings…"

The mercenary sat up and looked at it with disdain, the spider looked at him before crawling up to his fingers, looking at him intently still.

"The Exalted One sent me to watch over you." It's voice tiny, he frowned, "Tell it I don't need adult supervision. I'm fine on my own."

The spider made no move, "It was to ensure no other arachnid comes to harm you lest you come back for revenge. We now know your violent strength, StudMuffin. We wish not to make unnecessary enemies."

He put the spider on the nightstand and turned over, uninterested with the spider's words.

.

"Alright, StudMuffin, you had your meal, your rest and now for your threefold reward: where do you wish to go?"

The mercenary looked at the queen then glanced at the king before pointing a thumb over his shoulder, "I want to pay the Butterfly Kingdom a visit."

The two stiffen at the destination, the queen gently turned the dimensional scissors in her hand, "Why in Mewni would you want to go there?"

"I go where the bounties and contracts are, I heard they have problems aplenty."

The two rulers couldn't help but sneer at the words, "You don't need to put your ear to the ground to know that."

The king took the scissors before cutting up a portal and gestured to it, StudMuffin nodded but didn't move.

"Yes? Something the matter?"

He knelt down and put a hand on the grass, the two rulers looked at him curiously even the knights did, their hands on their weapons.

 _GNOME+UNDINE_  
 _REVENGE OF THE MUD MEN_

The two rulers took a step back as the soil suddenly rumbled and a person emerged, the knights came forward but the mercenary threw up a hand, "Be still, it's just a precaution…"

The mud person looked around before walking forward, the queen and king looked at it with interest as it looked like the mercenary and walked through the portal. StudMuffin stood there waiting before he nodded, "Alright, I guess that checks out."

The king and queen looked at him with offense, "You think we would send you elsewhere?"

StudMuffin bowed, "My sincerest apologies, I've been fooled one too many times by those who makes portals for me, last time I found myself in a moat with hungry crocodiles or a pit with spikes."

The two grumbled, "Rest assured, we do not do that! Have a little bit more faith with our respectable kingdom."

"I'll remember that. Thank you, King Spiderbite, Queen Spiderbite."

He crossed through the portal.

The two rulers looked at it before dismissing the knights, "Next time he comes around..."

They both nodded and went back into their castle.

* * *

StudMuffin looked up and saw the massive walls erected around the Butterfly Kingdom. He sighed and gave his duffel bag to the mud person before casually shoving it over and it dived back into the soil, the bag gone.

He dusted himself and made his trek, feeling more and more eyes on him as he got closer, mostly from the knights above the wall and those stationed at the gates, some even patrolling beyond it.

The corn field was much larger, the parts that wasn't protected by walls or the force field had knights there along with other crops and more farm animals other than the famed pig-goat.

He walked and lined up behind some peasants and peons, he looked over to see the other gate admitting merchants and carriages but he shrugged. This route was a lot faster if just a bit smellier.

He got pressed against those in line, he felt deft fingers jimmy his belt, he quickly caught the hand of a child cutpurse, she looked surprised and he peered down on her from his skull mask.

"Nimble fingers…don't you think your parents would be disappointed?"

"They're dead." She snarled and pulled free, sulking away, he shook his head,  
"Little shit."

The queue moved along, a knight looking over them before a hand came and caught his shoulder, he looked at him, "No. You go over there."

He glanced to the side, there were knights waiting there, "Why?"

"Obviously, yer not a peasant, peon, farmer or serf aren't ya?"

"What if this is my good clothes?"

The knight's grip tighten, "Look at this jester! Go over there. Now."

StudMuffin clenched his jaw and fists for a moment before complying, the knights smelled as if they hadn't bathed for days, he crinkled his nose.

"Alright, lose da mask. Empty yer boots, pockets and satchels. Yer weapons there."

The mercenary grunted and followed, the knights watched him, leaving him in nearly in the bare. They pointed at his underwear.

"Lose dat."

"I'm sorry but the women of Mewnii would never leave me alone if I did."

They laughed but the moment the draft tickled his loins they stopped, even looking disgruntled, he smirked.

"Get dressed ye—"

"Mercenary. Bounty Hunter." StudMuffin spat mimicking their speech, pulling his clothes back on and leaving the knights to simmer. Normally, talk like that would go poorly for him, but the dimension was going poorly as well, they couldn't afford to turn away skill hands.

But there were limits.

He walked through the place, seeing the clear division of wealth: dilapidated houses, mucky streets, not a clear sewer system and the usual over crowdedness. He didn't linger long and walked up to the castle, again there were knights and guards who eye him top and down.

"State your name and business." Said by a gruff knight.

"StudMuffin. Here to complete a contract or bounty by one Moon Butterly." He put a paper on his hands.

The knight glanced at it before looking at him, "That's _Queen_ Moon Butterfly to you, bounty hunter."

"I will struggle to remember that."

The knight glared at him but opened a door and jammed a finger inside, "You can wait in here until the Queen will see you, cobhead."

"I think the term is 'knobhead', you cobhead."

StudMuffin was shoved inside and he rolled his eyes at the knight, he took a chair and dragged it to the corner and waited: again the room was reminiscent of the one in the Spiderbite Kingdom.

Actually in any of the kingdoms he had visited.

 _Either the same person made their castles…or they need a better castle designer…_

Again he studied the mercenary and bounty hunter hopefuls in the room, a lot of green and spotty ones. He sighed and leaned back, his thoughts wandering, he looked at his watch before looking out the window, uncaring at the weather even as a rather gray cloud drifted along.

 _What are you even doing here?  
Mhmmm, getting yourself into trouble?_

StudMuffin involuntarily shook his head, he scowled seeing he caught a mercenary's attention, who quickly looked away. He frowned and tried to keep his mind off the room full rookie mercenaries, surprised he didn't see Tassa or Red Sieg but then again he didn't need them around either.

He pulled out his journal, glad the knights didn't manage to find it on his person, he read a few lines, turned pages, crossing out and writing something down. It was a chore balancing and keeping track of his actions and findings, but in the long run it would

"STUDMUFFIN YER NEXT!"

He frowned and snapped the journal shut and tucked it away, he walked over to the knight and he opened a door for him and ushered him through, "Mind yer manners."

He gave a stiff nod and walked in.

The room was tidy, not overly decorated, just a few large picture frames, a marble bust here and there and Butterfly banners along the wall and tapestry, a bookshelf in the corner. The queen sat behind a well-kept wooden desk, she was busy writing while two knights hung back, spears on their hands and swords on their hips, the plume tucked on their helms.

StudMuffin stood before the queen; she continued to write as if she didn't notice him enter. Normally they were already in a bitter mood, however this ruler seemed to keep herself in check, so he stood there waiting for her to address him.

Seconds tick by.  
Minutes followed.

StudMuffin stood there, waiting, his eyes straying to the knights, studying their coat of arms and such, their armor dented in places.

"You're not eager for work, Mister Sellsword?"

"Mhmmm, it's impolite to speak before spoken to."

Queen Butterfly paused before lifting her eyes to meet his gaze, the mask threw her off a bit. She glanced back down to her papers before sighing and stacking them and folding her hands in front of him, "Answer my question—"

"StudMuffin."

She pursed her lips before nodding, "Yes, Mister StudMuffin."

He bowed before straightening up, "I am always eager for work, however your little post entailed little of what needs to be done…what has happened, Queen Butterfly?"

"I suppose it was ambiguous, however—"

"It has been the same for many places I have visited as of late. Sorry, but I've gotten the topic danced around too many times, I wish to speak plainly and be answered as well."

The queen narrowed her eyes before sitting up a bit straighter, "Where have you been sellsword?"

"A few kingdoms on Mewni, those who are not adverse to my profession."

"Which ones."

He was silent, Moon digested what he said and she glanced at the knights, "I'm to believe you accepted each one? Even if it was dangerous or above your skills?"

"I'm sure you received my resume, the knight out front did take it."

Moon studied him for a second before she took a sheet of folded paper from her desk and read it,

Name: StudMuffin  
Occupation: Dimensional Mercenary/Bounty Hunter  
Accomplishments: Plenty  
Strength: Above Average  
Intellect: Above Average  
Skills: Above Average  
Hygiene: Average  
Hobby: Traveling

Moon looked up from the sheet, looking positively annoyed, "Is this a joke to you?"

"No. If it was then I wouldn't have bothered coming all the way here for an interview to a job I might not even take. I will take the job so long it is reasonable."

"No." Moon folded the resume and put it aside, "You accept it and get the details. You don't and you leave empty handed. What will it be, sellsword."

"I believe I've told you my name."

Moon studied him, he was clearly an experienced mercenary and the way he spoke and reacted was someone who was well versed with negotiating. Her eyes fell upon his garb, a mismatch of clothes and definitely dirty from the looks of it, he didn't carry any weapons openly either, the mask still obscured his face.

"…remove your mask and I'll tell you a bit more of the task at hand."

He shrugged and pulled it off and tucking it inside of his clothes, brushing his bangs aside, he looked at her and smiled confidently, she frowned.

Dirty. That's what came to mind.

"Your face is filthy."

He looked surprised, "That's a rude thing to say, but I'll let it slide: what's the details on your little task?"

Moon frowned and thought about it for a moment, "I want you to go to somewhere to confirm something for me and report back to me. Only me."

StudMuffin gave her a look, "Cryptic…I can walk out that door and walk back in and tell you it's a lovely day. Will that suffice?"

The queen glared at him.

He hummed as he cycled what the queen wanted in his head, obviously something had gone awfully wrong.

 _Why send a mercenary?_ It must be domestic issue.  
 _Then that means something happened?_ Could be within the kingdom. Or not.  
 _Within the kingdom or outside?_ If inside then she could deal with it, I would stand out.  
 _Where outside?_ Another kingdom or surrounding area.  
 _Another kingdom she could investigate by going there?_ No, she's being ridiculed by other kingdoms, they don't trust her. Again I would stand out.  
 _What's surrounding the Butterfly Kingom?_ Five kingdoms: east, west, north-west, south-west and above. Plenty of space. Rivers and lakes. Mountains. Forests.

 _Too many places…must narrow it down._

"It seems to me, Queen Butterfly…you have a problem I might not be able to solve after all. I'm sorry to have wasted your time."

The queen sighed, "You may leave."

He bowed

The door burst open, he looked up surprised as Moon sighed loudly, "How many times have I told you to NOT KICK OPEN DOORS!?"

"Sorry Mom, I heard you interviewing and I came as quick as I could."

"I started ages ago…"

StudMuffin straighten up, seeing the new arrival, "And you are?"

She spun to look at him, her sun kissed hair swaying, her eyes fell on him, "Ooh, I'm Star!"

He nodded, his mind racing and mentally shrugged if his plan didn't work out, "What do you need me to find in the Forest of Unlikely Spiderbites?"

Moon snapped her head at him, but that brief moment, that distraction was all he needed, Star looked at him funny, "Huh? It's the Forest of Certain—!" "STAR!"

StudMuffin smiled triumphantly, Moon pushed herself up from the desk, Star stepped back at her accidental slip.

"Hm, I take it back, Queen Moon, I will be taking the contract after all."

The acceptance was not noted as the queen marched up to him; he could see the hard ice blue eyes bearing at him, he couldn't help but smile. He waited for the eventual punch to the face or maybe thrown across the room, instead she simply walked back, he breathed out relieved.

"…no, you already made your decision, leave. Now."

StudMuffin shook his head, "It was a little underhand, but otherwise we would be standing here for days. I'm sorry Star."

She looked at him, she was definitely angry, he gave her an apologetic smile. She narrowed her eyes and tilted her head.

"Since I got that tidbit out, I guess it's fair to say I have been to Kingdom Spiderbite, first thing that came to mind."

"You could be lying."

"But I'm not. I've also been to—" "Enough, you can't validate you have been there."

StudMuffin sighed before nodding his head, "Fine. You're right. I can't. They all did the same thing as you did: ambiguous task. No paperwork or paper trail. Classic."

Moon froze as did Star, the queen glanced at the knights and waved to them, they protested, "But my queen!"

"Now, Sir Felix, I wish to have a private audience."

The two knights frowned but moved as they were commanded.

The two looked at the mercenary, "Where have you been?"

He listed off the kingdoms: Waterfolk, Johansen, Pigeon, Jaggy Mountains and SpiderBite.

Moon frowned at the list, Star folded her arms, "You've been busy."

"I have. So, since we're all caught up…may I have the rest of the information for my task? I have a 100% satisfaction rate."

"Really now?" Moon raised an eyebrow.

He nodded, "60% of the time."

Star frowned.

Moon merely shook her head, Star stood behind her mother as she explained, "Alright StudMuffin, since you will be undertaking this task, it is binding I might add…I want you to go to the Forest of Certain Death and locate citizens of my kingdom. If they are alive you are to rescue them. If they…if otherwise you will retrieve their remains, I will not have my subjects rot in a forsaken forest."

"What happened? They got lost in there?"

Moon glared at him so did Star, StudMuffin held up his hands, "Whoa, calm down, I'm asking a relevant question."

"If you must know—" "And I should." StudMuffin interjected.

"—they were kidnapped when a raid happened. They came into the castle and snatched them and ran."

"Wow. They could have, you know, burn this place to the ground. That's very strange."

"Yes, we know." Moon said flatly.

"Okay, so who are the culprits? Who should I be looking for?"

The two were silent and the mercenary gave a low whistle, "So…I'm going into the Forest of Certain Death, find some Mewmans in there, get them out while under attack by literally anyone. I got that right?"

"Yes. Sounds like you got the gist of your mission."

"I guess. Who was kidnapped? Anyone of high priority or station? A relative of yours?"

Moon shook her head, "None of my relatives, thankfully. But all who were kidnapped are subjects of mine and no less important. It was knights and castle staff."

"Any belongings missing?"

"No. Just personnel and whatever they had on them."

"How many are we talking here?"

"18 knights, 10 castle staff and 2 squires."

StudMuffin rubbed his chin, dirtying his fingertips, "That's quite troubling, the knights could withstand ill treatment, the others maybe not as much. How long were they missing?"

Star looked down and Moon gravely spoke, heavy were her words, "Around 6 months. I hold on the hope they are alive."

He sighed, nodding as well, "I will see to it they are returned home."

He walked to the door, he pausing as he reached it, StudMuffin turned at the two who were watching him, "By any chance…was Lavabo among the captured?"

Moon and Star visibly stiffen, "Yes, he was." "Do you know him?"

StudMuffin looked at the doorknob before glancing at a nearby flower vase, he took out the flowers and glanced inside of it: clear water, perfect.

"In a way yes…Ah! Before I forget: we haven't settled on a reward yet."

Moon frowned, usually that was the first thing they settled, but earlier events definitely muddled it, "Yes, we'll have a chest filled with an assortment of treasure waiting for you when you return."

"I think I prefer a room and board for a week, if you don't mind."

The Queen blinked before slowly nodding, "Yes, that can be arranged. You'll have a room in an inn."

"Hm, how about the castle suite?"

Moon looked at him, "…no."

"Mom c'mon I can just make him a room." Star whispered to her mother, she gave an exasperated sigh before nodding.

He crossed the room again and held out a hand, she looked at it: dirty. Still she shook his hand, sealing their arrangement.

He made for the door again, pausing at the door, he looked at the vase before he promptly picked it up, the two looked at him questioningly.

"What are you doing?"  
"Thirsty?"

He chuckled and douse himself, face first with the vase water, startling the two of them before he rubbed his face, droplets of dirt and muck dirty the floor, the two stared at him, bewildered with his action. Water ran down his clothes and body, making a filthy puddle at his feet.

He shook his head, whipping water about before taking his sleeve and drying his face, he gave a deep sigh and dropped his hands and sleeve.

StudMuffin smiled at the two.  
They froze at the sight of him.

The filth and dirt coating his face gone revealed a young tan face, a cute little mole and a wicked scar over his left eye,

"Man, it's been a while but it's good to be back on Mewni. Right, Star? Queen Moon."

Overcome with shock, neither reacted until he opened the door and closed it behind him.

 **XxXxXxXxX**

* * *

And that's how you make an OC legit.  
You probably already knew, but we had to be absolutely-positively-sure right? StudMuffin is . I'll put up a chapter why he has such a goofy name later in the story. Brings a tear to my eye.

So, is finally back on center stage, I can finally write him as ' ' rather than StudMuffin, while fun it was also tedious. Gosh, it was a pain in some places.

Finally some action, something I am known for and the following chapters is just gonna get spicier and spicier: political tension, action tension and bra tension. StudMuffin is not going to like what he is going to find in that forest. That is fo sure.

Ciao,  
I AM NRG

 **END OF TRANSMISSION**


	6. Chapter 6

.

 **Disclaimer** : icky bits

 **Chapter 6**

The Darken Knight Returns

 **XxXxXxXxX**

* * *

Marco looked at the edge of the forest, the wind at his back and the sun surely setting, he felt the coming chill and with it all manner of beasts and dangers. He smiled and lifted his duffel bag and reached in pulling out his most favored blade, the Traitor's Sword. He snapped it on his back, pulling out more of his gear he laid it on the grass before tossing his clothes and setting them on fire.

He pulled out his jeans, grey shirt, red hoodie and brigandine and put them on, he kept his boots and began to strap and belt his gear on his bodice.

Throwing knives, a long dagger, a pistol and pouches of potions, ammunition and bombs. He didn't need to go overboard for such a simple mission, he raised another mud person and handed them his bag and they dived into the soil, safe from thievery.

He glanced to the forest, the sunlight giving a few desperate rays before night overtook it, he pulled his hood over and walked into the forest. The once wild trails it used to have were now gone, the paths were wider showing a great amount of use for at least months now. He looked at the path, seeing all sorts of prints from foot, paws, webbed, clawed and even wheels, he frowned and kept an eye out for any nasty surprises.

He kept walking the path until he saw lights in the distance, Marco leapt off the path and began to climb a tree and waited, listening.

Running water.  
A distant hoot somewhere.  
Slithering.  
Rustling beneath him.

Marco still waited, hidden in the dark canopy. He pulled out his journal and began to map and write, he was at the edge of the forest and already he could already sense the place was heavily occupied. The natural obstacles plus the fact it's name would be excellent deterrents to do devious deeds beneath its foliage. Still, who could be hiding in the forest would be difficult to pin point, if Queen Moon was stumped then he would fare no better.

He looked through the leaves and branches, frowning as he saw hooded figure slowly entering the forest in every direction. Marco glanced down and saw some even passing just beneath him, he relaxed attuning himself to the ambience; anything out of the ordinary and these guys would surely sense and attack him. He silently counted the figures, only craning his neck to see where they were headed.

They began to split off, some even deliberately straying away from groups to be alone, Marco noted that they kept even their attire more or less the same with few variations, even talking in whispers as to not be overheard.

 _This must be a small community, but they don't openly trust each other…I wonder how they can coexist…hm, this place could be littered with hideouts…and all manner of places to hide._

Marco quietly slipped down the tree, his eyes finally adjusted to the darkness and began to tread closer, hoping his disguise would work. He became keenly aware that he was armed to the teeth, feeling the familiar weight of his weapons on his body, he glanced around the path, hoping to find some suitable refuse to use. The cloak in his bag would stand out too much, he needed something common or inconspicuous to blend in.

His eyes fell on a tattered canvas, most likely a tent before, it had burn holes, cuts and threadbare but it could work. He moved to it, snatching it and threw on his person.

Marco pulled it off and immediately snapped it, sending bugs and critters flying from it, "Gah, procuring equipment on the field sucks…"

He threw it back on, hoping it would pass before he walked closer to the lights, his hood kept his face somewhat obscured, his mask would do nothing to help as it would just draw attention. He quickly glanced at the figures, some huddled by fires, others going into tents, Marco saw the place heavily camouflaged others made crudely with sticks and leaves.

He caught many glances but it was fleeting and they minded their business, Marco delved deeper into the hideaway community. The tents were soon were replaced with wooden shanties, he felt eyes on him but he ignored it. If he was such a threat, which he was since the mucky cloth only covered so much, the tail end of his weapons were exposed, he would find resistance.

It didn't take long for him to see another division, he glanced back and saw what he assumed was the middle ring then back forward: the structure constructions were more stout and concrete. Actual concrete. Brick and mortar. Torch and lighting.

 _Outer ring: fringe camps. Middle ring: shanties, buffer and lookout zone. Inner ring…what am I going to find?_

He looked around then above, seeing a thick net and mesh criss-crossing and obscuring the night sky, but allowing the smoke to waft through and dispersing above the canopy like some sort of fog.

"Clever…"

Marco continued to walk through the path, seeing even a decent pavement was being made before he frowned, seeing mismatch materials, _hmmm, either they are using alternative sources, reusing old ones from ruins or stealing them. I have to admit this could be a decent place given enough time…_

He moved deeper but slowed when he saw further on was a guarded area, seeing hooded figures with weapons strapped openly. Marco felt their eyes and he moved towards an alley, the darkness quickly smothering him, he felt the walls, feeling the construction and began to scale it but before he reached the top he froze hearing low voices.

"Hey…where did he go?"  
"…dunno he didn't show in the end."

Marco thanked the darkness, he was just a foot away from them, probably peering down directly at him. He made no move until he heard movement going to the right, still he waited before he pulled himself up.

He kept himself low, surprised the building wasn't rickety and he looked around: no one was around. He pushed forward until he was at the edge of the building, he looked at the place that was being guarded before looking around it, no other building was barricaded as such.

He looked at the place, a crumbling ruin, moss and vines nearly obscuring it if not for the torches around it, he bit his lip before he heard someone dully speak underneath him, "Feck…all that racket yesterday…for some pottery? I hope they keep digging so whatever underneath there eats 'em!"

Marco frowned but hearing how angry new voices concur he began to scale the building down, that was not the place he wanted to risk exploring. Not just yet. He walked around the hidden community, noting it mirror some of the aspect of outside society: taverns, smithies, bruisers and watchmen, lumberjacks, trappers, hunters, stores and houses. He put his hand into his pocket, figuring his money might not earn him anything in the place if they ran their own currency.

He walked by a rather loud house, imprints of hands and bodies pressed against the window glass, before he moved towards what he assumed the commercial district. Marco walked to a street vendor who manned a wheel stand. A hooded figure looked at him as he looked at the dried meat wares among other wares, Marco pulled out a silver coin,

"How much would this get me?"

"…on your right."

Marco put the coin on the counter and reached out to take the purplish jerky, the vendor grabbed his wrist.

"This isn't a meat parlor, boy…it's a poison hand." The figure hissed, Marco wretch his arm back and the vendor looked at him, at least he assumed it was, "You're not from around here…aren't you."

"No. But I heard too much to stay away."

The vendor merely stood back up and gestured him to the side, "Look kid, leave if you know what's good for you. Seek your thrills elsewhere, this is a respectable place, a respectable community. We want nothing disturbing it."

Marco narrowed his eyes, "And selling your wares in the open, doesn't that seem…contradicting?"

The figure sized him up, "I guess you're not some snot nose brat…you a rogue?" "Try mercenary."

The vendor gave a nod as if that was the most normal thing it heard, "Ah, right, right. So what do you want from my fine establishment?" Marco noted its change in tune.

Marco glanced around, seeing no one in particular looking at him, he put a few more coins on the counter, silver and a lone gold one.

"I got questions."  
"I have answers."

"Answer in order: how welcomed are mercenaries here, how often do they pass through, what's population here, who should I avoid and why the damn hoods?"

The vendor looked at the coins before shaking its head, "That's primo information for chump change."

Marco put another gold coin; it shook its head.

Marco paused before putting another gold coin and cocking his pistol underneath his cloak, the vendor nodded its head, "Good. Now you know that strength is king here: might makes right."

"Not a good system, your leader could be an asshole."

"Ah, but then a new one kills the old one, the hierarchy learns from trial and error to be want it needs not what it wants. Until the next asshat comes around."

"...fuck your system. Answers. NOW."

The vendor swept the coins away to a drawer before folding its scaly hands, "…mercs are always welcome in any _wild_ place, skilled ones especially, I give them…exotic remedies from time to time. They come here aplenty, troubled times have come to Mewni, I trust more…lively events will follow. The numbers…I can't say exactly but this forest can hold at least, eh, maybe 400 – 500? Before it's too crowded, right now we're borderline 300. The camps you found walking in, I'm not counting, those scavengers just hole up here, they don't live here. Remember the hierarchy? Yes, there are plenty of hard hitters here, keep your head down when throw their weight around, you'll know them when you see 'em. No marks, colors or name yet, they know each other though. The hoods are universal, no one wants to be noticed unless they got a death wish."

"How about that place in the middle?"

The vendor glanced at the direction, "Dunno. They just beat whoever comes snooping."

Marco nodded, satisfied with what he heard, "Where's the best bar?"

"That one." The vendor nodded behind him.

"Where's the bar where the drinks ain't piss."

The vendor chuckled, "Guy. Every bar here is piss. Sometimes the liquor is piss."

Marco sighed before he walked to the bar designated; he glanced back to the vendor, seeing it wheeled away back into the darkness of an alleyway. He walked up to the bar pushing the door open being welcome to the sight of more hoods. Joy.

He walked up to the bar and took a seat, the barkeep walking over, "What'll be stranger."

"Your weakest most expensive drink."

"…yeah, let me piss in this cup, smart ass."

The barkeep shook its hood and walked over to another patron, he looked at the shelf seeing wine bottles, champagne, liquor and a stout barrel. He used the shiny tin mirror to recon the place, sturdily built and big enough to accommodate to be the local drinking hole. The wood finish was dark, a couple round tables with chairs, a pool table at the end and lighting fixtures snaking above in the ceiling, he saw a flight of stairs leading up.

He waited for the barkeep to do his rounds before he asked again, "Alright, smart ass, what'll be."

"What's your grub?"

"Other than actual grub? Hm, ain't much just dried meat, dried berries, you came on a drought."

Marco rolled the words before slipping a gold coin out, the barkeep took it discreetly, "Buuut what I can't feed you I can fill your cup."

"On the job, need something neither wine nor spirit."

He nodded before he came back with a soda can, "Smuggled in from dimension over yonder, uses fizz water, food dye and high fructose corn syrup. A classic vintage."

Marco cracked open the cold one, "Best thing I've heard all day."

"On the job, huh…rogue?"

He smirked and put the can down, "Yep, heard about this place…thought I can lend my services…"

The barkeep nodded before jerking a thumb over to the bounty wall, "You'll find plenty of work there."

Marco fiddled out another gold coin, lowering his voice, "I'm actually looking for another job. A specific one."

The barkeep hesitated to take it, he glanced down the counter making sure the patrons were sufficiently drunk, "Such as?"

"Raids."

The barkeep shook his head, "That's just asking for trouble, yer better off with those jobs, least their honest work."

Marco nodded slowly before hopping off the barstool and walked over to the board and scanning over the many parchments tacked on: help wanted, bounties, deliveries, pest control.

He frowned, these were like chores, he shook his head, _alright, alright…even in a place like this…it must have a deeper underbelly…this is comparable to day society..._

He walked back to his barstool the barkeep sensing his disappointment, "Nothing you like?" "If I was green I would snatch all those. I'm no stranger to getting my hands dirty."

The barkeep's posture showed how uneasy he was, "Sorry, friend." "You sure you can't…point me in the right direction?"

This time he put yet another gold coin, the barkeep gulped, still not taking it, "It might be best you be on yer way, rogue."

Marco glanced at the tin mirror and saw two hoods looking at him, he nodded before taking the coins and slipped of the barstool and walked outside, the evening air seemingly more frigid. Not 13 paces did the bar door open, he glanced back as two hoods walked up to him,

"Heard you're lookin' into a raid."  
"…"

Males. Had to be.

"I am. Looking to…participate in one."

The two glanced at each other, "Ain't no one just join, yer hired to. Only professionals."

Marco cocked his head before nodding, his body tensing, "So…do I have to knock your teeth out to get in?"

The two laughed, "As if." "Big talk."

He shrugged, "I'll do it anyways."

The first hood, Marco managed to drive his entire foot into his gut sending him flying, the other drew a knife and thrust forward. Twisting his body, the blade nicked cloth before he caught his arm, twisting the knife free, delivering a chop to the neck before kicking the hood from underneath, toppled to the ground.

He looked at the two before dragging their bodies and propping them against the bar building. Marco debated looting them but decided against it, he had class after all.

That and karma points.

Marco walked away from the scene, looking for other places to search for information, however his assault on the two didn't go unnoticed, hoods started to look in his direction.

Then stares.  
Then whisper and pointing.  
Then some began to follow.

Marco frowned, _maybe causing a scene wasn't the best thing to do…_

He walked, as did the hoods, he decided running wasn't a good idea and looked for a wide place, if he was going to fight, it had to be in the open. He glanced back and saw he managed to rally up a mob, _damn I really kicked the hornet's nest._

He stopped and spun around.

"Alright unless we're all going to the same place, I suggest y'all back the fuck up." Marco decided to confront them; he glanced around making sure he adequate space in the square.

They stood there looking at him and he waited for them to make the first move, otherwise he couldn't pin the blame on them later.

"Outsider."  
"Rogue."  
"You stink."

"Fuck you, I can smell your shame and what humped you yesterday from here." Marco made an exaggerated sniffing, earning some snickers, "And I see you brought your cheerleaders with you, too."

"Hey, you take that back!"

Marco and the hoods did a double take when a rather feminine voice rang out.

"Just beat him up already!"

Marco feint running forward before leaping back, the hoods moved back before he grabbed a handful of smoke bombs in his pouch and threw it in the air. He crouched just as the bombs went off, making a thick plume of smoke, he darted to the right and grabbed a hood they barreled into an alley his hand over his mouth.

"Mmmmppphhhff!"

Marco held the hood before throwing him over his shoulder, bodily slamming the hood into the wall, dazing him before he ripped his hood off and threw him his own.

"Owww…fuck…are you looting me?"  
"…"

Marco threw the hood over himself, he glanced at the smoke as it was slowly dispersing, the other hoods looking around, he dusted it, ready to blend in again by walking out of the other end.

"Asshole…did you just…dab—" he punched him unconscious before making his way to the exit of the alleyway.

Only to run into the poison hand vendor,

"Been busy?"  
"Yeah, I have. You set me up."

The hood nodded before leaning over the counter, Marco glanced behind him, sooner or later they would investigate here.

"What's to gain for double crossing me?"

The hood shrugged before throwing the hood back, even in the low light Marco felt his blood boil at the sight, the hood took a dagger and slid it over the poison meat before walking forward.

"You helped kill Toffee…blood begets blood." The Lizard hissed, fork tongue apparent.

"And you told no one that I was here? Stupide move." Marco pulling his sword free, the lizard laughed, "This is my vengeance…I will not let another steal my prize."

Marco leveled the sword, "I see…then there's no talking around this then."

The lizard smirked, before he closed the distance, Marco darted forward locking blades sending an echoing ding, the Traitor Sword awoke and began to nibble on the dagger, jagged teeth appearing. The lizard flinched and leapt back, "Demon sword! No…what is that!?"

The dagger had its edge bitten and gnawed, the lizard tossed it aside, claws were next and tail.

Marco fell into a stance, _gotta be quick and deal with this pissant before more of them show up._

The lizard became very weary of him, suddenly revenge seemed like a faraway thought Marco read the body language and knew he was gonna run for it. The moment the poison hand lizard turned, Marco flung himself forward, he cursed when the lizard leapt on his stand and toppled it down his path.

 _SLYPH!_

Marco felt the familiar sensation of wind on his heels and he leapt over it, the lizard turned his head focused on him and tried to hypnotize him, but he smiled feral at the lack of potency. It was weaker than Buttercup's.

So focused however Marco nearly caved when the tail came crashing into him, but he grabbed it and using the wind and his body, leveraged himself and flung the lizard into the stand.

The sound of flesh and bone snapping, Marco cursed again, the lizard broke it's tail off.

The lizard gleefully ran for the alleyway exit, Marco spun in the air and flung the sword embedding itself through the lizard's stomach. He coughed feeling the blade and pulled it free, blinking at the searing pain.

A minor setback, he would heal.

He took three steps before he fell into the dirt. The lizard blinked feeling the hole not heal. He felt his gut plunge and the sickening sensation of it coiling out of the hole.

"Yeah. Try to heal that." Marco bent down and grabbed his sword, dusting it.  
"Is this…some kind…of poison?"

Marco grabbed him by the leg and dragged him deeper into the alleyway, "Worse. You're not getting up from that. Ever."

He propped him against the wall and looked at the lizard, it blinked before coughing up blood, "How did you know it was me?"

"Marco 'Fuck Boi' Diaz…you're a legend here…fighting a kingdom…putting down royalties and deities…they kiss the ground you walk on…but not me, I know you're nothing more than a killer."

Marco leveled the sword on him, "HOW DID YOU RECOGNIZE ME." "…human, you smell different from mewmans…I got a good nose…so when I saw you fight… your strength and skill…I knew."

"…"

The lizard chuckle, "I knew…I couldn't beat you…" "Then why fight me?"

The lizard looked confused for a second, "…when the Lizards fell out of grace…from that whore bug queen…we hid…it's not right…we were so strong…done in by a child…soon we had infighting and turmoil…I never amounted to anything before our fall and even…lesser now…but in the very least…I fell to the Darkest Knight…Mewni has ever created…"

Marco narrowed his eyes, "Did you know Toffee?"

"…a little…I admired him…but I never knew him like a brother…or a friend…I felt his death…unjust…how could he just…die? Darker Knight…end me…alrea—"

Marco plunged the sword into his heart, twisting it, the lizard gasped before he slumped, blood oozing out of his mouth.

"…you could have lived."

Marco closed his eyes before walking away, tossing his hood up.

* * *

His commotion got the Inner Ring riled up so he sneaked away to the Middle, hoping to ride out the storm. The shanties denizens looked at him, some miserable and others with indifference.

He walked for what he assumed was a tavern, he pushed his way in and saw it deserted, he looked around before walking up to the counter, the wall shelf lined with empty bottles.

Marco knocked on the wood.  
A voice rang out, tired,

"Ain't nothing to serve ya…dried out."  
"I don't want drink, I want information."

Marco frowned when the barkeep came from the back room, again with a hood, carrying a bottle.

"Wha cha want?"

Marco slammed a gold coin on the counter, "Who has been conducting raids?"

The barkeep leaned against the counter, "That's a fecking tone you're taking with me…who the feck are you?"

Marco threw his hood back, his angry face made the barkeep flinched, and he made a gesture befitting warding misfortune, "Feck! You're the Dark Knight, Marco Diaz! Shite, yous got hangars coming here…"

The barkeep's surprise evaporated fairly quickly, Marco frowned and looked at him, "Those raids."

The barkeep tentatively moved his arm. Marco scoffed, "If I wanted you dead: you'd be dead. Keep your little knife out of this."

The barkeep paused before stepping back from the counter, "S-sorry if I don't believe ya…I heard stories yous were 7 feet tall, had horns, a crown of flame, carrying a thousand swords and armor so dark that even the night sky found unsettling herald by a herd of flaming black stallions straight from the Pit…"

Marco stared at him then gestured to his face, "How are you picturing that and connecting it to this face?" "They said you wore human skin and human suits."

"No. All human. None of that bullshit."  
"…that's actually kinda disappointing."

He narrowed his eyes and the barkeep got the point, "Telling ya the truth Dark Knight…are dem folks in the center are yer culprits…we lived here long before they came."

"Why live here?"

The barkeep sighed, slouching and leaning against the counter he took the blade and struck it to the shelf, "When your kingdom fails you, who can you turn to? People dying, starving, ya couldn't even rise above yer station, you just had to muck all yer life? Tis a miserable life, I tell you. We came here, hoping to make a better one, taking friends and family and building a home. We did struggle at first, but we banded together and life was tolerable, at least. Monsters and mewmans coexist…somewhat. We respect and tolerate each other here, friction t'was at the minimum.

"But this little haven…attracted others. Of course, we could have oust them, we did at first…but then they came with more and we suffered…they took what they wanted and moved deeper…doing who knows what?"

"So you don't go to the center? Why not?"

The barkeep shook his head, "There be mischief there, not safe for anyone…maybe even for you. We continued to live here, no other place to go. So long as we kept to ourselves the ones in the center paid us no mind…most of the time."

Marco rolled the words around, "So your saying the raids were conducted by those in the center…I've been there, they built a community, something akin to a kingdom. Can't tell if mewman or monster in control though."

"The hoods are good for keeping everyone from lashing out because of race. Also bugs, plenty of them here so we wear them for that too."

"You must have seen who led the raid, it was 6 months ago, a wagon most likely was transporting the goods."

The barkeep folded his arms, "Plenty of wagons carry goods through to center…seem like any other day."

Marco sighed, knowing his information was lacking but at least he knew that the Middle and Inner were at odds with each other. He turned to leave, the barkeep talking the coin.

"But there was some strange outside of here nights ago…was by the creek north-east from here and saw a hood carrying supplies to fallen shed."

"And that's strange?"

The barkeep shrugged, "The hood made many trips, what they brought would never fit in such a tiny shed."

Marco paused before putting more coins on the counter, "Use that to buy more stock…this place could use more customers."

The barkeep sighed, "Aye, it would. Why don't you be a patron for this fine establishment?"

Marco chuckled and put another stack of gold coins surprising the barkeep, "Fine. Keep those lips sealed."

The barkeep stared at coins and quickly scooped them into a drawer, Marco threw his hood up and walked out. He looked around before heading for the direction of the creek, finding a trail most likely made by the barkeep.

He followed, glancing behind him to see the community inside of the Forest of Certain Death, seeing their lights and outlines of buildings.

"I doubt all of those guys in the Inner Ring are asshats…but until I know which are the pissants I can't deal with them." He murmured underneath his breath.

He found the creek some time later, he scanned the area before shaking his head, he knelt down, touching the beaten soil, _"It's too dark and I can't risk using light to give away my position."_

 _GNOME!_

He punched the beaten soil and a slight tremor shot from his fist, going in all direction, he closed his eyes and attuned himself sensing massive rocks, tangling tree roots, subterranean creatures, tons of soil and everything in between.

He did it again, trying to sift through the information he was getting and on the fifth one he finally home in on something strange: a rigid structure underground, the formation was unlike a cave or a reservoir. It felt too unnatural; it had to be manmade.

Marco crossed the brook and crouched, stealthily moving, every so often he would punch the ground and send a ripple, sensing the shed the barkeep had seen. He moved closer and closer before he frowned when he happen upon it: wooden shed had been abandoned. Moss and vines grew all over it, the wood dark and water logged, if it was day time he doubt he would have been able to see it.

He pushed the door open and it was just pitch black, he glanced around and chance it, sending a tiny fire orb, enough to be mistaken as a firefly.

It promptly died.  
Something hit the ground.

Without warning something black smacked into his face and he controlled himself from yelling. He pulled it free and it took off, breathing rapidly, Marco pulled himself up and used a bigger flame this time. He shook his head seeing a lone thorn bat on the floor, a hole burned through its gut.

He picked it up, wrapping it with a strip of cloth he cut from the hem of the hood before putting it in his pouch, _sorry…I won't let your resting place be in a forsaken forest like this._

He put the orb of fire above his head as he searched the barren shed, he frowned seeing nothing at first, the wall shelves were empty and nothing in the ceiling. But that didn't deter him, he searched every inch of the structure before he felt his foot step on something solid. He stepped again, feeling the resistance, his other foot sinking into the moist soil.

He paused feeling the difference before he kicked at the floor, the dirt being tossed and saw it was a trapdoor. Marco could feel a slight draft and he pried his sword free and began to trace the edges before he found the hinge. He pushed against it before using the sword again to find the lock,

 **FIREBRAND**

The locking mechanism bubbled and he sawed through it, before pulling it open, he saw it pitch black again. He punch against the trapdoor frame and attuned himself again, he felt the passage, the carved layout, the supports.

 _Someone built this…_

Marco threw the fireball and it revealed a narrow staircase downward, he prepared himself and walked down, softening his steps as ventured deeper, carefully closing the trapdoor behind him. The fireball flickered as the moist air came into contact with it, the earthy smell was pungent almost unbearable, Marco crinkled his nose.

He continued to walk down the flight before dismissing the fireball, there was light ahead, he pressed himself against the narrow passage and peek around the corner.

The light was from a lantern.  
Lanterns.

Marco saw them dangled from the ceiling, one by a table. He studied the place, his eyes adjusting to the lighting, seeing the illuminations of bars on the wall _, no…bars to a cell._

The cells seemed to be carved out, bars set to keep whatever in. He held his breath and listened, ignoring his heartbeat and throb in his ears.

"..."

It was low, but he could hear a rasp inhaling and exhaling, it sounded weak.

He relaxed before taking the scene into account, trying to figure out if it could be booby-trapped somehow. He thought of using Gnome again but being this close, he would give away his position, instead he felt around the wall and began to make a mud man, feeling soil and form underneath his palm.

"Who are you?"

Marco tumbled forward getting in between the cells, his sword flashing in the light, suddenly very aware someone was with him. He looked around frantically, unable to comprehend how someone managed to get behind him.

He tensed when his opponent walked forward into the light, he frowned: another hooded figure.

"Hood…figures."  
"It's all the rage." It drawled, the voice echoing.

Marco narrowed his eyes, "What's in the cages."

"Oh? We're on speaking terms? INTRUDER. Hmmm, I'll answer those questions when I get some of mine answered first."

Marco sidestep when the hood immediately raised its hand and metal dart came flying out, it flew and struck something wooden behind him. He moved back to the center before he felt a sudden sting on his arm, he blinked and saw a thin near-clear wire. It cut through the hood, his jacket and bit his skin.

"Don't worry…that wire is just serrated a hundred times over…every inch of it when taunt." It chuckled, Marco frowned and cut it with his sword. He noted the distance, the hood let its arms fold again, Marco leveled the sword at his foe.

"Last warning: what's in the cage."

Marco didn't wait for a reply and lunged forward, the hood threw more darts but he undid his hood and threw it, tangling it in midair and slamming into his foe. Marco's blade skitter as the hood pulled out a dagger and deflected it, Marco growled and grabbed the hood and tore it off before rolling away, darts being thrown at him.

Breathing heavily and the lack of light making depth perception and distance harder, Marco readied himself for another attack. He flicked around him, cutting the nearly invisible wires as his opponent got to its feet, hissing.

Marco held back his surprise as he faced off with spider humanoid in a sleeveless jerkin and trousers, barefoot. His eyes traveled to its hands and saw the metal darts circled its wrist like a bracelet with what he assumed was a puckered asshole spewing web on the middle of its palm, its fingers long.

Marco felt its eight eyes on him, studying him, "Ah…finally a worthy opponent: Dark Knight Marco Diaz. What brings you back to Mewni?"

"…"

It laughed before taking its fallen dagger, watching him, "I heard of your feats…very inspirational, I admit I wanted to be just like you…but stronger! C'mon Marco Diaz, a fan is fawning over you, at least have the modesty to blush!"

"What's in the cages."

The spider humanoid fell, "You can call me, Slink. And those are just some test subjects and play things. It would look bad if we just started using our kind, wouldn't it?"

Marco looked into one cell, he could see a shivering outline in the very back, he looked at the spider, "Mewmans…what have you done to them? Did you kidnap them from kingdoms?"

"We worked our way up to that…from a village here…a town there…the homeless…the destitute…the desperate…the unwary…" each word that spilled from Slink's mouth made Marco's grip tighter, it smiled at him.

"At first we were so _afraid_ that the Dark Knight would be employed, but when we heard you were gone…well, how could we not take the opportunity? These mewmans were a lot better than the fodder we had last time: strong, disciplined and tenacious. Ooh, how I wished you could have seen the death matches…mewman killing mewman with their bare hands…just like how they did to us…then we moved on to better parts of our agenda, we made breakthroughs you wouldn't believe, Marco Diaz…"

Marco glared at Slink, "I can tell half of the shit that came out of your orifice you call a mouth is bullshit."

Slink laughed, clapping its hands, "You're right! No death matches, no 'avenging' our monster brethren, us being afraid of you…hmph, I guess I can't fool you into believing that horseshit. I sincerely hoped you dashed forward to kill me…tangling you in my razor web would have been delightful. But then you must know the rest is true…taking mewmans flesh and merging it with monsters or vice versa. Since Eclipsa's Escape we've heard of the miracle she made…we wish to recreate it but in our desired way…we needed a lot of material fodder. We've ran into a lot of snags, frankly the results are disgusting."

Marco gritted his teeth before placing his sword against the bars, Slink shrugged carelessly, "Go ahead, free them if you want, Marco. They are not viable to us anymore, in fact I was just about to put them out of their misery. I think we left them to starve for days, if not weeks, ooh I can't seem to remember."

Marco sensed movement and he glanced at the cell, gaunt fingers wrapped around the bars, sunken eyes and a lean beaten face peered at him, Marco's stony face crumbled,

"M-Marco…?" crack bleeding lips whispered.  
"Oh god…Higgs?"

Her skeletal face looked at him, patches of her skin were black and blue with bruises and if it wasn't it was grime obscuring her cute freckles. Her orange hair were reduced to mere strands, there was barely enough to even see it as orange. Her clothes hung so loosely on her starved weaken body she could have slip out of it by tucking in one arm.

Marco felt the sudden urge to puke, the smell of the earth masked the smell of urine and feces littering the inside of the cell. The smell of dead came next.

"Are you feeling alright Marco? Do you want a seat? Some water? SOME REVENGE?" Slink smiled cruelly at him.

It fell when Marco appeared all over it eyes. Slink immediately pulled the wires up, nice and taunt, waiting for Marco to split into ribbons all over

Something spun past  
Suddenly fear exploded all over and Slink dissolved into a thousand minute spiders as Marco appeared behind, slashing into the body and then stomping on the minute spiders.

However they scurried into the darkness even as Marco swung his sword aflame, they got away in crevice and burrowing into the dirt.

Marco roared in unbridled fury, his eyes darken for a moment standing there in the darkness, letting his anger simmer and cool. He cursed loudly before he went to the cells and slashes them open, some of them were holding on to life, the others…he got his mud man to carry the corpses away while he freed the cells, pulling the darts free from the ground and all over. Using his flames he lit the place till no shadow remained, seeing it was a simple corridor with a door at the end.

He cut open Higg's cell and carried her out, she weakly blinked at him, he didn't know how to feel about the entire situation.

"Where's Sir Lavabo?"

She only coughed, her breathing faint. He carried her as he looked around, another mud man joining him and taking his pistol and dagger, the third watched over the living ones.

He cut open another cell.  
Dead. Unrecognizable.

He went to another.  
Dead. A kitchen patch in his fist.

He went to the next.  
Alive.

The following one.  
Alive. The person was painfully thin. He could barely speak.

"M-Marco…"

He knelt down and looked at Lavabo, he was in a worse state than Higgs, he had oozing scars on him, rats and critters were nibbling on him. His eyes sunken into his skull, the skin painfully pulled over it, his face and body beaten with bruises, his strong frame starved, his hair and mustache pulled or fallen off. He was sitting in a puddle of his own urine and feces.

"I'm here, I'll get you out, I promise."

"…"

Marco held back his tears at the fate that befell a good knight.

.

The door was kicked open, the mud man taking point as fireballs swam into the room, it was a simple study and barren too. Marco looked over the desk drawers and shelves.

Empty.

Marco kicked it over.  
Higgs shivered.

Marco stared at the room, he glanced at the walls and floor and even ceiling, whoever was here cleared up. Slink was telling the truth, the mewmans here were going to be left to die.

He looked at Higgs, she was so weak, so frail, he had to know, "Higgs, I know you're tired…but please tell me what happened here."

She was mute and just shook in his arms.

He gave the room another look before turning to leave, then froze.  
The back of the door had a parchment tacked to it, he pulled the door and looked at it.

A giant red spade.  
On fire.  
With chains behind it in an 'X' fashion.

Marco tore it off and stuffed it into his pouch before walking out. He saw the mud men had finished their job and he walked up the stairs and out of the shed, the living mewmans shivered against the evening cold. The corpses were placed in a row, Marco looked at them sadly before he put a hand on the ground, "I've been using you a lot lately…"

 _GNOME!_  
 _STONE COFFIN!_

The ground rumbled and a rectangular stone box appeared, Marc pushed the lid open and set the corpse inside. He put the thorn bat as well.

"I'm sorry, I only have one coffin, you'll have to share for the time being." Once he was done he got it to return back to the soil, he gestured one of his mud men to push it subterranean back to the Butterfly Kingdom and it sank into the soil too. He took Higgs and the living Mewmans back to the tavern he visited. He needed answers.

* * *

The barkeep was aghast at the sight of Marco, dirty and so many nearly dead Mewmans at his doorstep.

"Inside, hurry! C'mon!" he whispered urgently, Marco went to cover the windows as the barkeep took them to the back, they shivered uncontrollably, "They're cold, they need to warm up! Where did you find them?"

"Let's get them comfortable first."

The barkeep threw his hood off, surprising Marco, he was a mewman albeit in the older years. They worked around each other, wiping them down and wrapping them in cloth, Marco gave the barkeep coins and asked him to buy more supplies while he worked.

Marco washed the mewmans noting they were only starved but with Lavabo...he cleaned his wounds and dress him. He turned to Higgs, she blinked demurely at him, he blinked back.

"Higgs, c'mon gotta get you clean."

Her eyes wandered to the others before Marco nodded, he carried her to the side so she would have some privacy, he put a tub of warm water and a bar of soap. She blinked at him again, looking at the things before shaking her head weakly.

Marco's face tinge before he pulled her top off, "I'll have to wash you then."

She was quiet the entire time, he was easy in drizzling water over her and lathering her up, running hands down her skinny frame. He felt scabs and sores on her back, wrists, knees and feet, she weakly cried when the soap stung her. He poured the water over her, afraid to see what the soap suds would be hiding, a trickle of water joined the murky water. Marco merely poured more water, flushing it away, Higgs's pale face tinged with red.

The barkeep came back with ointment, bandages, clothes [that weren't hoods, gawd!] and foodstuff to feed the weak mewmans. He looked all over the floor and the smell, Marco waved it off, "I'll clean it up myself."

Marco got them situated in one of the rooms afterwards, taking blankets and pillows from the other room so they didn't need to lay on the cold floor. After he fed them some soup, they promptly fell asleep, however Lavabo and Higgs tried to remain awake, Marco shook his head and reluctantly closed their eyes. He waited for a few minutes before he walked out of the room and into the barkeep, he handed him a mop and Marco followed him to the back and began to clean.

"…how long are you planning to stay here?"  
"Maybe leave at the first light…I need a wagon if you got one."

He looked at him.

"I have money." "I know you do…it's just…risky helping you this much, Dark Knight. Sooner or later someone is going to accuse me of helping you."

Marco flushed water down the floor and pushed it to a grate, "…I'm sorry I got you mixed up in this."

The barkeep sighed, he began to put away the buckets, tub and things, "I think it's just a matter of time before those cretins in the center come here and just take this haven away from us."

"They won't. After I get these mewmans back home, I'm coming back here and dealing with these people. Maybe kick down an apple stand."

"Yeah, that'll teach 'em."

Marco chuckled as did the barkeep, he sighed, "You're not like the stories tell about you, Dark Knight. Yer kind. Honorable."

"Really? What do I do then?"

"Pillage, marauder, arson, lead revolutions, take princesses and wenches where ever you go, slay thousands in your wake. Kingdoms weep at your coming."

"Eh, maybe just one is true."

The barkeep laughed, "People are using yer actions for their own means…sometimes twisting it to justify their mischief. But you inspire some good…just not a lot."

Marco nodded slowly before taking out the sheet he found and showing it, "Does this look familiar?"

"No. Looks like a brand."  
"Probably a bad one. I'm going to keep those poor mewmans company."  
"…I'll try to get you a wagon, but no promises."

Marco nodded, "That's more than enough. Thank you."

Going back to the room, locking the door behind him, Marco looked over his gear, reloading his pistol and looking over his weapons. Satisfied, he took his sword and slashed a portal to a familiar hideout of his, he glanced at the sleeping mewmans. He shrugged and began to carry them over, they awoke alarmed but he made a gesture to keep quiet. He continued and finally heft Lavabo and Higgs up as the door began to jiggle someone was trying to jimmy the lock. He quickly hopped through the portal and closed it behind just as the door swung open.

The barkeep looked inside, not at all surprised it was empty, he snarled for a second dropping the knife in his hand. He scratched at himself, drawing blood on his face and neck before opening his mouth as a flood of spiders came gushing out, he convulsed before falling over until every spider was free.

They quickly formed into Slink, who looked around, sniffing the air before he turn and left, kicking the body of the mewman as he left.

 **XxXxXxXxX**

* * *

Marco was referred as a Knight in four different capacities in this fanfic.

Yup, now we know the fates of those who were kidnapped and it's not pretty. Especially what happened to Lavabo and Higgs, almost painful to write, but at least I didn't kill them off... ◉‿◉ Well, except that one guy.

The full extent of the journey is yet to be complete. Marco still needs to get back to the Butterfly Kingdom, but he is in no real rush. Taking care of Higgs and Lavabo is his real priority right now.

Yup, this is just one piece of the crisis Mewni is experiencing, now that the entire dimension knows Marco is back, how will everyone react? Will it bring joy? Or devastation? Or worse?

Ciao,  
I AM NRG

 **END OF TRANSMISSION**


	7. Chapter 7

.

 **Disclaimer** : I'm stressed out.

 **Chapter 7**

Mewni Once Again

 **XxXxXxXxX**

* * *

Life in Echo Creek is a pleasant one, there was just enough action and peace to sate anyone carving it. The people are good, the education was great, the employment opportunity was nice and there's always something to do, be it parties in the city, at home or at the beach. Life is good in Echo Creek.

Janna yawned, she pulled herself out of bed, running her hand through her hair as the morning hubbub moved along. She threw on a lazy ensemble and walked downstairs, her parents were already gone to work, so she got the whole place to herself. Normally, she would find something juvenile to do, but since it was the weekend she couldn't go to school and do it, although that wouldn't stop her.

No, it was just boring to get into trouble in Echo Creek nowadays.

If she could do something outrageous in other dimensions like Mewni.

Yeah, that would do.

She sat on the couch, turning the television on and sighed as she flipped through the channels, seeing the weekend line up. She tried her darnness to get Marco to spill the beans but that safe kid turn bad boy just side step the topic every time, but she was relentless. Finally after weeks of cornering him, feeling his dominating aura wash over her, he found out she enjoyed it when he did that so he kept it to a minimum, he told her he warded the dimension.

She nearly went nuclear on him, demanding he drop it, but he refused. She pointed out he was just as stranded. His response was cutting himself a portal with a sword and left her. High and dry.

It was infuriating! He wasn't some boy she could toy and mold, he was turning into a man. And she liked it even better. He spent time with his friends, but the moment his commitments were up, he would vanish.

She managed to follow him once, but she was introduced to another portal and she landed back on Earth. She didn't even get to send her text to Star or any of her friends in that brief moment. Marco kept a vigilant eye out for her whenever he tore a portal to do his 'heroics', she would just have to wait until then.

Marco wasn't attentive when she tried to take his sword, to her surprise he didn't need to. The sword felt her touch and immediately taze her, growing teeth and drooling, Marco just raise a brow at her, "Knock it off, Janna, this sword is off limits. To anyone. And it'll let you know."

Janna sighed and sunk into her couch, wondering where he was.

He didn't show up for days now.

* * *

Marco carried the starved mewmans to his built cabin using his mud men, there was holes here and there, but it was sturdy and ways off from any nearby kingdom or roads to be found accidentally. The mewmans fell asleep again, conserving their energy to heal. Marco rolled out blankets on the hard mud floor, after his mud men were done building the cabin days prior, they flatten themselves before he used several fireballs to purge the moisture out of them.

His cabin only had two rooms: bedroom and a kitchen/living room. He stuffed the mewmans there while Lavabo and Higgs shared his makeshift bed. Lavabo stayed awake long enough to see his new surroundings before falling asleep. Higgs on the other hand stared at Marco who took a seat in the corner, a stump for a chair.

"Trouble sleeping?"

"…"

Higgs shut her eye and snuggled into her blanket, Marco sighed and leaned back, trying to catch some rest himself.

 _…_

 _A growing boy needs his rest._

 _…I still see no reason why you should be here._

 _Don't be frigid._

Crying.

Marco woke with a start, his hand pulled his pistol on instinct. He looked around before his eyes fell on Higgs, her hands like iron on her blanket. Marco silently walked over, she was shaking like a leaf, she winced and cried.

 _Nightmares…_

 _What a sad creature._

Marco tentatively put a hand over hers, she begged weakly in her sleep against her assailant, "…please…no more…"

 _I could have prevented this…_

 _…_

 _…No._

 _Yes…blame yourself._

Marco held her hand and the few tears Higgs had in her were shed soaking into her blanket, she merely shook and winced in her sleep, her back arcing and feet tucking. He thought of waking her up, showing her she was safe and away from that horrid cell, but the moment he made his decision, she calmed and slept on.

Marco pulled his hand back, looking at it for a second before taking a seat again.

No windows in his cabin.

He looked at the small fireballs that hover in the air, he poked it and watched it float away lazily.

He got comfortable again and slept.

.

Marco yawned, stretching for a moment before looking at the light filtering in between the gaps, thankfully the draft didn't matter much when fireballs were heating the place. He got up and walked to the kitchen, avoiding the mewmans and getting a fire going on the stove, he gave a pot to a mud man and told it to fetch water by a creek nearby.

Pulling a few pieces of the wall free allowed him to divert the smoke elsewhere, he pulled more to glance outside, seeing the sun rise chase the night colors away. He saw the mud man walking, glad for the help before he went through his tiny cabinet pulling out some hard tacks, aged cheese and some dense cubes for soup.

He took a clean knife and began to prepare them just as the mud man came back with the pot, he took it from the gap and told the mud man to recon the area. He set the pot down and boil the water for a minute before taking out a strainer, a cloth and a filter and pouring the lukewarm water through it to another pot and boiled it again.

 _Don't know if the water here is contaminated…better make sure it's clean, I don't think any of these mewmans can take being sick._

He boiled the water thoroughly before adding the cubes and stirring it with a wooden ladle, the smell rousing the mewmans. Marco ignored them and continued to work, grabbing a bowl as he finished the soup, he carried it to the awake mewmans to feed. Softening the hard tacks with the soup he fed them the combination one by one, they greedily ate, the cheese was sharp but they savored the slices he gave them.

He went to Higgs and Lavabo next, they were already awake, the smell had wafted to them. Marco fed Higgs and Lavabo, they were significantly weaker than the rest of the mewmans, unable to chew the tacks and instead slurp the soup and nibbled on the cheese.

Marco kept his feelings in check, at least the two were able to eat, in such a condition…he shudder to think what another day would have done to them.

He continued to feed them until they had their fill and merely sat there.

Marco went back to tend the other mewmans, who once they knew they were out of immediate danger, began to groan and whine for the Butterfly Kingdom. He glared at them as he set the bowl of soup down, Lavabo and Higgs didn't voice it but he knew they did yearn for the same.

"Before I get you back…I want some answers, because your Queen was quite cryptic with me. Now, tell me what happened?"

They shudder at the thought.

Marco couldn't see them but Higgs and Lavabo flinched at the memory resurfacing.

They weren't keen on talking about it.

Marco sighed and looked at his watch, days were passing on Mewni and he needed to get back to Earth, he didn't have much time. He thought of solutions but it was all risky, leaving so many to defend, he thought of bringing them to the bar, he had plenty of protection there, but that also revealed a hideout of his.

And this hideout on Mewni was fashioned recently, eventually the mewmans would be strong enough to make the journey back, but he still wasn't done with them.

 _Maybe send everyone except Higgs and Sir Lavabo…I know they'll tolerate it better than the rest. Damnit…_

"Just take us home…" one said weakly. They murmured in agreement.

"If you're strong enough to whine then you're strong enough to tell me what happened to you all."

They all looked apprehensive, Lavabo and Higgs leaned over to try to see what was going on. Marco sighed loudly, "Why are you all afraid to talk? You're well away from that prison and that spider freak can't hurt you anymore."

"…but you're the Dark Knight."

"For fuck's sake, REALLY? I saved your lives and that's what stopping you?"

They looked down.

"Just fucking answer me."

"We…we don't know why…us. It happened so fast."

"One second…I'm in the kitchen…next I have a bag over my head."

The collective mewmans shudder. Marco looked at them impatiently.

"Yes, I know they kidnapped you. I meant what did they do to you? Where did they take you? Who did you see?"

They sat there, some of them starting to cry, other starting to shake and hold themselves. Marco sighed and walked to Higgs and Lavabo, he soften at the sight of them, "What happened?" his voice gentle.

Lavabo shook at the thought before he weakly spoke,

"After they snatched us…they took us to the forest…then somewhere else…I don't know…there are days I can't remember. I remember…ugh, they drew blood…sometimes flesh…teeth too from each of us…I think…then that cell…I know we were there for weeks…"

"I know…they brought us to a house…we were at some auction…they spoke in a code…or language, I don't know…most days I had a bag over my head…sometimes they beat me, without warning…or do something painful…needles and clippers…I thought it was over when they put us in the cells. I would lick the walls…taste the soil and gravel on my tongue…just to wet my mouth…" Higgs sniffled, "…sometimes, if they felt like it…someone would toss slop on the floor…I would lick every bit…they treated us…like animals…I was so hungry…"

Marco saw Higgs look at her hands and he nearly lost it, her fingernails were gone.

"…I'd chew them…one every day…even my toenails…until I ran out…"

"…was one of your tormentors…a spider monster?"

The two weakly shook their head.

"Maybe…? They wore hoods…they made us wear bags most of the time…"

"More than one…they worked with…a handful…like an organization…or cult…."

Marco nodded, he didn't want to press them on so soon but that was good enough, he took out his journal and jot down some notes:

Monster group abduct mewmans

Small gradually to big scale abduction

Numerous members, must have many hideouts

Started after I left Mewni, Eclipsa's Escape

Have harvested biological materials from many victims

Goal: try to recreate Meteora in their image

Group size and alias unknown

Marco tuck the journal away before showing the parchment, "This was tack to the door, does it look familiar?"

The two looked at it but shook their heads, Marco walked to the mewmans next door, finding them reaching for the cheese on the table, he took it and held out the parchment, "Alright, does this look familiar to any of you? No cheese unless I get a better answer than 'uhhh I don't know'."

They looked blankly at it, Marco sighed and put the cheese away, one of them croak out, "That's Eclipsa's brand…isn't it?"

Marco paused and showed it to the mewman, "This? Her brand?"

"Yeah…isn't her cheek marks a spade?"

"Yeah, I know that, but her brand? What does that mean?"

The mewman looked at it curiously too, "I…can't remember…seems familiar…"

Marco frowned at the answer before cutting more cheese slices and giving it to them again, they happily nibbled it. Marco looked at it, a spade on fire with chains… _a spade is good enough to show her birthright…why go the extra length? Maybe it was the monster's design…I better catch one and wring some answers out…I'm getting in too deep with this affair as it is._

Marco looked at his watch again, he measured how much time he had left before nodding, he'll have to make time it seemed.

"Alright, mewmans, take a nap, I'll take you to the Butterfly Kingdom when you wake up."

* * *

The moment StudMuffin revealed himself to Queen Moon Butterfly and First Princess Star Butterfly, the whole castle was in a tizzy. Star ran after him but only found he was already gone, the knights pointed out he simply walked out the door and vanished, like he sunk into the ground or something. Queen Moon spoke to all the knights and they all swore to keep the sudden appearance of the Dark Knight quiet.

Moon paced in her study, Star walked back to her room in a gloomy manner. King River looked at his wife, unsure what to do, Marco had always been a good squire, a good friend to Star. But after being nagged off by Eclipsa, how repulse and angry she was with him, he shudder to think how Marco saw King now.

In truth he wanted to make amends but it had been two long years since Marco's Departure and warding his home. Even if he wanted to, using his pet birds which came back angry at him as it seemed even the ward blocked them, he had no chance to. He was a King but…he held no real power like his wife, looking back at it, he should have put more thought into his gifts than presenting them as he usually did.

"Moon pie, darling, calm down, Marco… _might_ not be so angry with you. Or myself for that matter." he said weakly, but Moon ignored him, night had long fallen over the kingdom.

"River, he said he went to plenty of kingdoms, yours included, Marco isn't a dolt, he must know we put a bounty of his head. Not to mention I sick the Magical High Commission on him and he had to fight them off. What if he wants revenge? What if he is working with Eclipsa? He has a sword comparable to the royal wand and had two years to learn it's secrets, Marco could very well level a kingdom with a swing of that sword."

"But he hasn't! You're putting yourself into undue stress and fear. Isn't he currently in your employ? What did you make him do?"

Moon calmed and looked at her husband for a moment, "Search the Forest of Certain Death for those abducted Mewmans…"

River sighed and sat down, "…we've lost hope on that front, dear. Marco's going to be stomping up those steps and handing you a bag of bones."

The queen looked out the darken window, "…it's better than telling the worried families we're still investigating, still searching…at least they'll have closure."

"How about Star? How is she taking it that Marco's back on Mewni?"

Moon shook her head, "I don't know…they were so close, joined to the hip even. But after Marco left, Star just…didn't want to talk about him anymore. She just wanted to learn how to run the kingdom from me."

"…why did he come back?"

She shook her head, "…I guess we'll have to ask him when he gets back."

"The other kingdoms are sure to know he is here."

"If they did, they are lousy in telling us. I think he only revealed himself to us, otherwise we'd be hearing an angry mob right about now. I better send word to the Magical High Commission."

River walked over to his wife, "C'mon dear, come to bed, you should have some rest. I doubt Marco is going to show up in the middle of the night." "No. No, River, I have a mountain of paperwork to do, I'll come right after."

River looked at his wife for a moment before sadly nodding, hearing that worn out excuse many times before, "Right-O, Moon pie. I'll frump up your pillow for you."

.

Star went to her room, her thoughts racing of Marco. She knew he would return one day, but in a disguise and not going into a screaming match with her family sword drawn, especially her confused her to no end. She thought of all the reasons why he would come back no matter how absurd, a few things came to mind, namely the Blood Moon Ball Goddess.

She searched through the library and found the book Marco must have read, she was aghast at the history, somewhat hurt Marco never showed it to her or told her. But then again the Goddess's powers would make her not believe him until she showed up authorizing the exchange of knowledge. She confronted Tom about it, going to his kingdom and searching through their library and found a book there as well however it wasn't as filled out as her own.

Tom admitted that it was an alluring ceremony and what luck it was during their lifetime, an air of romanticism for them to share. Star kept her anger in check, he was not to be blamed entirely since his own knowledge on it was lacking, how was he suppose to know it would turn into a shit storm. Right? Get an actual goddess to descend from above and personally give her a piece of her mind.

For the past two years, Tom and her remained boyfriend and girlfriend, minus any physical contact, they continued deepen their relationship with other activities that didn't involve cuddling, kissing, hugging, etc. Writing each other love letters, poems, doing other things together sufficed for the mean time.

The Goddess didn't reappear again, something Star was thankful for, the fury she had made her shiver at night, every full moon she prayed that she didn't show up. After her initial shock, she studied up what the Goddess had put Marco up to: the Unbinding aka the Impossible Tasks. It was self-explanatory, but she couldn't believe Marco agreed to a fool's errand.

However, there was a small part of her that Marco would not be deterred. He did spend 16 years of his life chasing Hekapoo, enough to impress and gain a measure of respect from her.

Still, the past two years had been rough on the princess, she couldn't make physical contact with her boyfriend, her best friend Pony Head was upset over Marco and extension her, she couldn't contact anyone on Earth and Kelly was distant after Marco's Departure.

Kelly had become fast friends with Marco, she found out that he saw her and Tom kissing leading Marco and Kelly to bond over their mutual relationship problems. Kelly admitted she didn't know if that meant her or Jackie, but to be sure Marco was hurt and Kelly lend him a shoulder to cry on and they comforted each other over their mutual problem.

When the Ward was put up, Star asked Kelly if Marco had come to see her and she replied,

"Yeah, he has."

"WHAT? Wh-why didn't you tell me?"

Kelly shrugged, "Because he said to keep it low-key, he didn't want to drag me into his problems while he was sorting it out."

Star stared at her, "So…what has he been up to? How is he? Who else has he been talking to?"

Kelly frowned and folded her arms, "Star, please respect his privacy and mine as well. What he does in his free time and mine are our business."

Star saw and felt the tone, she held her hands up, she didn't need to alienate another friend, "Kelly, I'm just worried for him, that's all."

Kelly kept a neutral face, she sighed, "I don't know, he just comes around, talk a little and leaves. So far he's just been readjusting on Earth, beyond that, I don't know. I don't pry and he tell me what he wants to tell me."

"Which is?"

Kelly frowned, "That's enough Star. Leave Marco be. He's obviously trying to sort himself out."

From then on whenever Marco was brought up in a conversation, Kelly became very wary, so Star and Pony Head tend to avoid the subject.

"B-Fly, I'm telling you that Marco makin' trips to Kelly's pad, just pop in there unannounced and you'll see your second bestie."

Star ignored the advice.

She wanted to make amends but Marco clearly wasn't ready then.

When he comes back from his mission, she wasn't sure if he was ready now.

The memory of two years ago flashed in her head and she felt horrible all over again reliving it, the memories still brought tears to her eyes and the nightmares. Sometimes she woke up in cold sweat, reliving Marco cowering against her wand sword, other times, darker times she didn't stop savagely beating him.

She thought over what she wanted to do, but she didn't know what good would come of telling Pony Head or Tom. She tried to make a mirror call to the Diaz home or Janna or anyone on Earth, but all she received was static.

Looking out the window and seeing the distant lights in the dead of night…she discarded her clothes and put on her nightgown and went to bed. In the morning, she'd see a friend she hasn't seen in a very, very long time.

.

Breakfast was a quiet affair, the three Butterflys ate, all tense that at any moment the doors would burst open and Marco drenched in dark armor and a glistening sword would strode forward and throw a bag of bones at their feet.

He never came to interrupt their breakfast.

Star followed her mother and they went to her study, Moon pulled out parchments and such for those who would be deceased, she made one for each 20 that was abducted already. She sincerely hoped that she would not use any of them but that naive thought died after the first month rolled by. Star sat on her desk, signing and reading the stack parchments she was handed, Star need to start putting her signature down somewhere while she mother was alive.

Moon didn't want Star's first signature to be her signing in as a Queen.

Moon and Star worked quietly in the study until River visited them, lunch had come, "You could have told—" "I have stout legs, Moon-pie, why shouldn't I use it?"

Moon paused at his words before agreeing and the three of them sat down for lunch, they ate in relative silence, subdued even. Star glanced at the door, Moon noticed, "Star, searching for them and bringing them back won't be an easy feat. If anything he'll be back in a fortnight."

"…I guess you're right."

The three continued to eat when Manfred walked up to the royals, "Yes, Manfred?"

"Excuse me my liege, but a coffin was delivered to the undertaker…a note stating to be gentle with everyone inside, including the bat, which is to have a coffin as well."

Moon stared at the mewman, nodding slowly at his words, "Very well, Manfred, no one is to open that coffin until I come there to inspect it myself. Understood."

"Yes, my Queen. We couldn't open it if we wanted to, it's sealed shut with some sort of mud substance."

Manfred bowed and left, the three looked at each other,

"Marco's…done already?" Star said in hushed tones

"…that must be a big coffin then. I wonder how he snuck it in."

"…"

Moon stood up, dabbing a napkin on her lips and chin, "I'm going to see that coffin."

"How about you see to these mewmans first?"

The three flinched when a golden portal opened, a figure walked out carrying something, they watched in cautious fascination as it was person of mud carrying a bench, one side anyways. The mud man walked backwards and the missing mewmans were seated upon it, until the other end was shown another mud man.

Marco walked out next, wearing a brigandine over his red hoodie, dark jeans and boots. He had his favored sword strapped across his back, a pistol holster to his leg, throwing knives and pouches on his belt. The mud men put the bench down and walked back to the portal as it closed itself.

Moon, Star and River merely stared at Marco who had grown considerably. The scrawny-confidence-lacking boy was replaced with a taller, more muscular young man. His eyes still twinkled with boyish mischief, his hair longer and combed, accentuating his handsome rugged tan face.

If servants weren't edging for the door or the knights leveling their weapons, they were awestruck.

Marco looked around curiously, "Hmmm, I don't see the donut patrol…I guess you thought I would take forever. Ah, well, Sir Lavabo, Higgs get some rest. Hey! You and you, take them to the Infirmary Wing and be gentle about it!" Gosh, even his voice was deeper and more mature.

Moon's eyes followed and the knights remained, she gave them a curt wave, "Do it, take the bench, no use carrying them one by one."

The knights protested, loudly.

Moon looked at them, "Do not make me repeat myself. All of you clear out as well. I want to speak to…Mar—him. Alone."

"And I want sealed lips!" King added.

Marco stood back as the knights took them away, Sir Lavabo and Higgs looked back at him and he merely nodded. The rest of the castle staff left leaving the three Butterflys and Marco alone in the dining hall.

Marco smiled at them.

"Safe and sound. Like I promised."

They looked at him cautiously.

"So, are we going to stand around like this for the next few hours or…?" Marco inquired.  
"No. No we are not, Marco."

Marco nodded, his eyes on the queen before he looked to Star and River, "Hey, Star, River. You look well."

His easy tone suggests he'd but only saw them yesterday.

Star stiffens at the greeting, River weakly smiled, "H-Hello m'boy."

Silence.

Marco's smile fell.

"Hmph. Seeing all your faces like this…cautious; scared even. It really hurts. I was expecting hugs and all that. Pity." He sighed, "Tell me: did you think I came back to Mewni to seek revengeance against all of you?"

"Yes." the three responded immediately in unison, Marco loudly sighed.

"It makes me wonder why I even bother coming back…" Marco muttered under his breath.

"No. I came here to tidy up my so-called 'mess'. This whole Eclipsa business and what came after that I am apparently being scapegoat for. Although, I did hear the blame has been tossed between kingdoms so I'm not as insulted." Marco shook his head, the royals watched him as if he was going to lash out like a rabid dog, "Star, did you tell your parents what happen two years ago."

Star felt her parent's gaze on her, Marco folded his arms, "You had two years to tell them, did you take another break?"

Moon snapped her head back to Marco, "What was she suppose to tell us."

"About Eclipsa and Meteora." Marco ignored the alarmed look on his best friend's face.

Moon looked at Marco for a moment, a brief understanding between them, she shook her head, "Not by Star's admission, no. I piece together that you could not possibly only know, Star had to know also. After the transgressions you caused after your Departure and upon what I later learned I decided beating dead horse would be pointless. Star suffered already as have I and my kingdom."

Marco nodded, "So Star got off the hook."

"SHE DID NOT GET OFF THE HOOK, MARCO." Moon said sternly at him, Marco rolled his eyes.

"Whatever you say, Queen Moon. But I do recall you publicly admitting that you would 'make me talk', I don't know what extent you were willing to go, but your words really painted a bleak picture for me back then. By the by, how's the Magical High Commission?"

Moon glared at him, Marco looked back innocently.

"They are fine. In fact why don't we invite them?"

Marco smiled eagerly at the suggestion, "Sure, why not? We have a lot to catch up on."

Moon narrowed her eyes.

"Is that a threat?"  
"Is anything a threat when it comes out of the mouth of a wanted Dark Knight of Mewni? Is that bounty on my head a collective decision or one of the kingdoms has a bone to pick with me." Marco demanded.

Moon stiffen at the words nonetheless nodded her head, "Yes, all of the kingdoms of Mewni decided upon it."

"If only you all worked together towards a common goal." Marco shook his head unhappily. He caught Star's eye for a moment, she looked away, he shook his head again.

"Has my room been prepared? I don't mind bunking in my old room."

"No, it hasn't. Nor will it be." Moon said quietly, she reign in her fears, frustration and paranoia. She gestured to the table, tired of standing and he complied, River and Star just stared at them as they sat down.

Moon composed herself for a moment and looked at Marco with meaningful eyes and with a measured voice she spoke. Marco knew the routine and what was coming: someone wanted him do work for free, out of the goodness of his heart. In this case, _already_ done.  
"Marco Diaz, I am beyond grateful that you did what I asked, you've done me a great service and to the families of the abducted, the rescued mewmans…I wish your situation wasn't what it is now: this Dark Knight business. Had you been still Star's royal squire I would gladly induct you as a Knight here and now. But after all you have done and wrought…I can only tell you 'thank you'. But please you must leave. I'll say you came here in good faith to help, anything to placate fears, but right now you'll just cause more friction."

Marco nodded, "I understand the situation and what it means for you. However I am still going to be paid and on what we agreed upon. Whether I did it under an alias or you practically trying to weasel your way out of an agreement is up to debate."

Moon gave him a not so subtle glare at his words, Marco didn't care if she was displeased.

"But that will have to wait. The main reason I'm here is to stop all of the kingdoms from fighting each other. Please, Queen Moon, your sentiments and concerns are pleasant to my ears, but it doesn't rectify anything beyond that. The reason all of you are building those damn walls, arming yourselves and are in seclusion is because of Eclipsa and the irrational fear of who is working with her. I'm actually a small part of the problem. You really thought Eclipsa was going to take your punishment without retaliation?"

Moon frowned as he shook his head at her naiveté, Star and River quickly sitting down too.

"Then what the feck do you want to do about it, Marco." Moon tersely asked.

"It's as you just said earlier: placate fears, try to brush off or deny that I have reappeared, you're just staving off the inevitable. That changes nothing. What I want is getting all of the kingdoms leaders to convene in the Butterfly Kingdom within a fortnight. Your lack of communication and trust with each other are causing so much strife and suffering, yet you are blind to it and unable to act without another kingdom freaking out. Mewmans and monsters are banding together and not in the good sense."

Star felt an ache at the words.

"Psh, Marco—"

"You've been into the Forest of Certain Death, haven't you? Tell me what you saw."

Moon gave him a concerned look, "Tents. Dozens of them. With many hooded figures with weapons. An organized mob by the looks of it."

Marco laughed, startling the Butterflys, "Alright, maybe months ago. Try a fecking community mimicking yours and any other kingdom. You're about to have a war on your hands with every grouchy and outcast mewman and monster as an organized military, up for it? Ready to commit thousands of knights, warriors and citizens to their deaths?"

Moon, River and Star froze at the words.

"And if you think that's bad, all this tension has brought in the mercenaries from foreign dimensions. You know what all this means to a merc? A paycheck: a fat one at that. I should know: I made a hefty fortune once in a dimension going through something awfully similar. Queen Moon, Mewni is a literal powder keg and you don't need a fuse to set it off, the barrel is open and any spark will do."

Moon looked at him for a second, contemplating his request, "…call the other leaders here and then what? If you told them the same thing you told me they'd just be hysterical, the situation here will get worse. Marco, you will make things _worse_ for us, no matter how much you think you're helping. This is Mewni, not Earth, you can't just impose something like this and expect us all of us to fall in line. I see your reason Marco, I do, but the rest will simply see an outsider, worse a Dark Knight, attempting to govern them, to control them. You will be adding to the fear that you say we are plagued with."

Marco folded his hands and sighed, he was thinking, Moon and the rest simply waited. Marco took a chalice and looked at the contents before drinking it, "You're saying that I'm not trustworthy? My title and actions are making my words and warnings moot?"

Moon tilted her head side to side, "More or less, yes, Marco."

"What will convince them? What will convince you?"

The queen thought it over for a moment, "I can't say for sure, a lot of kingdoms suffered at the hands of a Dark Knight in the past. That in itself makes them not give a damn about your, warnings and see that they were right in some bias twisted way. They are also well within their rights to fear and hate you. Some would, if they could, slay you where you stand."

 ** _Honestly, I would like to see them try._** _  
Behave._

Moon's shoulders slumped, "However…it's Eclipsa who has them worried the most. She's a powerful individual and has incredible sway in both Mewmans and monster society as she is a Queen and her monster affliation, if you want your words to matter…I don't Marco, you might have to bring proof she's imprisoned again or…" Moon trailed off, Star and River taking note how serious the Queen was.

"I believe that is the bare minimum that would let them consider your words. I…believe you, Marco, for what it is worth. I was in that forest and I saw things and I can only imagine things has gotten worse."

Marco sighed and leaned back, "Just do what I asked Queen Moon: get the leaders to convene, talk for once, quell some fears and deepen some bonds. I can tell you now Eclipsa has done very little in the grand scheme of things. In fact, she has done almost absolutely _nothing_ these past 2 years."

"How can you be so sure Marco?" Moon asked curious, he shrugged, "I've been keeping an eye on her for months now. She did something foolish once and I sorted her out."

Moon shook her head, the boy had grown arrogant,  
"Marco, there's a limit to joking around."  
"Would you like her to say it herself? I can bring her here now."

His sword was in his hand and he slashed open a rift, the three stared at it before they froze as he spoke up, "Eclipsa, could you come her a moment?"

"Ah! Marco, dear, what's the matter? I was having my afternoon tea and Snookers Bar just now."

Moon stood up, her face pale, "That's enough Marco, I don't want to see that woman unless we have a room full of knights to deal with her. And even then, I—"

Marco blinked,  
"Did something happen? Oh, Eclipsa, I have to go."  
"Wait, was that Mo—"

Marco slashed the portal close, Moon shakily sighed and sat back down. Star and River also tense,

"Um, in any case you don't need that much protection. I'm more than enough to make her behave." "Marco I trust you are a…adequate fighter, but taking on Eclipsa even jokingly is in poor taste."

Marco frowned at her words, "Queen Moon, with all due respect, the reason Eclipsa can't very well march and army, herself or her daughter and raze Mewni to the ground is because she knows I'll be there to stop her. I'm partly the reason why Eclipsa has been so quiet."

The three didn't rebuke his claim, whether out of awe or disbelief.

"Wait, you're at odds with Eclipsa? Didn't she knight you? Gave you your 'freedom'?" River asked.

"And what, that makes her my Master? Hardly. That was a gift and it was never intended for it to spiral into this. Although, I have a sneaking suspicion she doesn't even care if I did turn on her eventually, would just be a jolly good time for her. Oh, since we're airing out _my_ dirty laundry, would anyone else like to share?" Marco asked, looking around the table.

Moon pursed her lips, River nervously intertwines his fingers and Star averted her eyes.

"I see…I guess I've been in the wrong for the past two years. Queen Moon, I'll see you in the meeting." Marco stood up, Star looked at him quickly. He took his sword and readied to slash open a portal.

Ready to disappear again.

"Marco, I'm sorry!"

Moon and River looked at her, Marco frowned but kept his sword out.

"If I had been truthful things wouldn't have turned out like this. Mom, Dad…Marco and I knew about Meteora long before Eclipsa Trial…but I couldn't bring myself to tell you especially when things were so strained. Mom you didn't want to talk about Eclipsa and much less about Heinous."

Queen Moon looked at her daughter then to Marco, who tucks the Traitor's Sword away, "Then how did you two find out about Meteora?"

Star looked at Marco for some support, he merely stared back. She looked down for a moment, mustering up some courage and spoke up, "I wanted to make amends…between monsters and Mewmans, I wanted equality for us all to be treated without discrimination within and outside our walls. I realized that I would eventually become Queen one day and I decided to make a difference because of it. I went to the other kingdoms with Marco to gather signatures from the royal princes and princesses then hosted a party at the monster ruins, inviting monsters to mingle with them. My relationship with monsters changed with Bullfrog so I thought I could do the same with the other royals."

Her parents slowly digested her words.

"Are you referring to the one with Mina Loveberry escaping?" River asked, Star nodded, "Some things happened and we went to the basement level and we found Meteora's nursery with a portrait of Eclipsa cradling her. That's when we got attacked by Mina and when Rhombulus came investigating our, er, gathering."

Moon rubbed her temples while River looked at the two with concern, "You two were doing this behind our backs?"

"Save your chastise." Marco grunted. Star looked at her parents, worriedly,

"Mom…I talked to Eclipsa…a lot before, too. I got really close to her. Talking about all sorts of stuff: magic, being a queen, other things…"

"Yes. I figured as much." Moon responded drily, "When she escaped she was banking on you freeing and escaping with her. If things had gone her way, you would…well as much as I hate the situation Mewni is currently in, I'm glad it didn't come to that."

Marco looked at her coldly, Moon took notice as did River, "Oh? Are you, Moon? Are you also glad what came of it?" he touched his scar over his eye, Star looked away.

Moon looked at it, "Where did you get that scar?"

"…Star's going away present."

Moon and River looked at him startled, the scar cut through his left eye diagonally and slowly turned to Star, she tried to sink lower into her chair, "Star?" "Star, what did you do?"

Marco glared at Star, "Oh. So you didn't tell them either."

Star shook her head slowly, "Marco…I'm sorry."

Moon looked at the scar, seeing one more reason why Marco Ward his dimension from contact.

Marco's eyes fell hard on the princess before it soften, much to royals' surprise, "I suppose _this_ is balancing the scales. Don't fuss over it too much, I'm over it. Mostly. We'll continue this talk later, but I want to know something: how was Eclipsa imprisoned and how did she escape it."

"That's…highly classified information, Marco."  
"Well, it's just the royal family plus a Dark Knight. Who would believe me?"

She sighed and looked at the two before looking at Marco, "She was crystalized in an unbreakable crystal and placed in Rhombulus's and…Lekmet's domain since her imprisonment. That must have been 300 plus years ago. When Toffee…killed my mother and the Monster Uprising in Mewni, I sought her out after seeing her locked chapter. I made a pact with her, dark magic to slay an Immortal for her freedom."

She felt eyes of Star and River on her.  
Marco just listened.

"However, my confrontation with Toffee didn't conclude the pact, I did not snuff out his vile life only taking his finger however I was marred by the dark magic nonetheless. The pact endured long after my meeting with her and it was only when Star finish off Toffee did it complete…why Eclipsa broke out when I didn't deliver the final blow makes absolutely no sense, we agreed I was to kill Toffee. Somehow, she escaped and eventually got on Mewni where we captured her and set her on trial, the rest you know."

Marco nodded at the information, extremely concerned, "So how did she get here? Did she steal Dimensional Scissors? Powers like it? Or does she have contacts to get her here?"

"Your guess is as good as mine."  
"Regardless, she's here on Mewni. Thank you, Queen Moon for clarifying some gaps. I'm going to retire to my room, I take it's still available?"

"…yes it is, although it's been locked. Marco, please can't we just agree on something else."

Marco shook his head, "Mhmmm, I'm afraid not. Although, did you do anything about the graffiti? Got those off the walls yet?"

Moon didn't even look surprised he knew, "You've seen the state of your room already…and you insist on staying inside of it and being here? Marco, you'll be a pariah here."

Marco stood up, "I have unfinished business here and once it's over, then..." his eyes grew distant for a moment, he shook his head and slashed a portal and walked through.

* * *

Marco looked around his old room, it brought back some fond memories and the impressive amount of graffiti on the walls did give it a sense of character.

LYING TRAITOR  
LAZY HUMAN  
FILTHY ASS-KISSER  
USELESS-SQUIRE  
DIE COBHEAD  
BETRAYER

He sat on his bed, feeling the wood give easily, "Hmph, someone has been jumping on my bed, broke it clean in two."

He looked around: the room was thrashed, floor to ceiling had mile long stains, desk crumpled and in pieces, the walls had holes, his closet ransack, vermin lived inside and he was sure someone used it like a latrine, the corner stank so bad even the fanfic writer failed to describe it.

Marco sat there, contemplating his visit, he deviated greatly from what he originally planned: just come down, make contact, set up the meeting, attend it and be done with Mewni. But he came to Mewni a lot sooner because of Eclipsa and was horrified at the extent of the condition it was in: isolation and paranoia to the extreme. And it was the same with each kingdom he visited, some worse than others. Those kingdoms cared little for what happened outside the walls and borders and when something happened within the realm they were quick to accuse or suspect the other kingdoms.

Queen Eclipsa made them barricade themselves.  
The Dark Knight made them barricade themselves.  
And when you're suspect of everyone around you especially outside of your realm, it was a recipe for irrational fear, hysteria and paranoia to settle in.

Without policing the lands regularly either by the kingdoms or knights the pockets of bandits and criminals grew tenfold. Mischief and fear grew from their negligent eyes.

When raids struck, the kingdoms either kept it quiet or lashed out at other kingdoms that did not help, although they had no idea or chose not to intervene. It was a downward spiral and it would only end in misery unless he came and set it right. Marco took great consideration of his actions, he could have just look the other way and let Mewni go through its violent death throes…but it wasn't him to do that. He was partly to blame this was _his_ mess.

He ultimately decided he would give Mewni a fighting chance; it was more than they deserved especially how poorly they treated him but he was fine with that. He would have a clean conscious whether Mewni survived and prosper or fell into ruin.

He sighed, the smell was really getting to him and stood up, ready to head home. He paused when Star walked through the portal cautiously, he raise a brow, "Ah, Princess Star. Sorry, the place is a pigsty."

Star gave the room a quick glance, she tighten her hand on her wand, "You don't have to stay in here, I'll make you a new room, Marco."

Marco waved his hand, "That's not necessary, I quite prefer this. At least I know what I am here on Mewni."

Star frowned at his words, then looked at him intently, "Then why come back Marco? You already know how you will be treated here? Why?"

"Why? You know why." Marco straighten up, Star gulped as the height difference had begun to show, "I have my Impossible Tasks to complete. I have Monster Arm to remove. And I have this mess with Eclipsa I must fix, I do not intend to spend the rest of my life remedying my past mistakes."

Star digested his words only one stood out, "Impossible Tasks?"

Marco smiled, "It's really none of your concern…for now, Princess Star. Just study up and be a good Queen, your people deserve one."

His smile and distant words were unsettling to her, Star felt the portal close behind her, Marco stood there as if waiting for something.

Star bit her lip.  
Marco waited.  
Star fidgeted, looking at her boots.  
Marco waited.

Seconds ticked by.  
Minutes followed.

Still Marco and Star were silent. Neither breaking the silence. The awkward silence.

"Marco!"  
"Yes, Princess Star?" came the immediate answer. Star frowned at the formality, it felt…wrong for Marco to call her that.

"Marco? Why…why did you come back to Mewni?" asking again, hoping to get a different answer now they were alone.  
"You were there and I just said it, Princess Star, I came back to fix a mess I help make. Come to the meeting and you'll know all about it."

Star stared at him. His tone polite, easy and respectful, his smile played on his face.  
It was mocking to Star, she stomped forward and stood in front of him, "Is something the matter, Princess St—" "Quit talking like that, Marco! What happened to you? Why are you acting like this?"

Marco's eyes dimmed for a second at the words and suddenly Star felt a surge, it felt like an oppressive crushing force on her entire, her mind ached, her heart hurt. Marco caught her as she leaned against him, taking deep breaths as it suddenly passed as quick as it came. She looked up to see Marco, looking at her.

Contempt.

"Star." She shivered at the tone: neutral, "As you know, the Blood Moon Curse courses through between us, we feel each other without fail...however, the Goddess granted me a boon. I've been actively been blocking my distress. My despair. My agony. My misery and suffering. The hardships I've endured these past two years: all blocked. If I had not you would have drown in it."

Star stared, a loss for words.

"Not out of kindness, but out of respect for those it involved. And in doing so, I inadvertently allowed you to live blissfully unaware while I felt your own romantic bonds deepen. Imagine, when I should be mourning the loss of someone dear to me…I felt uplifted and happy. This connection…sullied the memories of those who gave their lives for me. And thereby you. To this day, I keep it in check, I would not encroach on your life and happiness…more than I already have."

Marco step aside from Star, taking his sword and slashing himself a portal, without a backward glance, he vanished again.

Star stood in that piss-and-shit-stained-graffiti riddled room for a long time afterwards.

 **XxXxXxXxX**

* * *

Tada, another update and on my birth month too, that means it's gonna be chuck full of updates. Hopefully.

Marco is back on Mewni and everyone is taking it badly. I suppose some wounds just run so deep. As you read Marco doesn't know what happened to Moon and Eclipsa nor what she intended for Star.

So things have taken a nasty spill from the Epilogue, some kingdoms were doing 'okay' but now they all more or less become reclusive to each other. There's still communication but very minimal. And speaking of communication, ouch, Marco dropped some hurtful bombs on Star, I know it seems like a lot of bashing but Marco's Flashbacks are coming soon and then you can judge whether or not Marco was too harsh with Star.

Also, yay, SvtFoE is coming back in March so I better crank out these updates. Whew!

And now...

The Impossible Tasks, I've taken some time to really mold it in this story, since every lover who attempted it failed and the Goddess had grown sadistic over the years I thought of what it should entail:

 **1.** The Tasks must be Impossible or rather _thought_ to be Impossible. I.e. Hestia's case, it's _Impossible_ because the portal cannot be closed no matter how much she or other's tried, some on 'divinity' level strength and power. One way to close the portal was with Marco's Sword, which refused to take another master. So in short, to Hestia: it is Impossible to fix. Hence is qualified as an Impossible Task as dubbed by the Goddess.

 **2.** You might try to circumvent this by making a person think some task is 'impossible' then you come along and solve it, thus you did something impossible. No. The Goddess chooses an Impossible Task and you cannot have prior hand or influence upon it.

 **3.** Impossible Tasks are not set. You can choose a variety of Impossible Tasks to complete. Hestia's Impossible Task is #777, Marco is not given #1 to #100 and cannot choose to complete #101 or #9999.

 **4.** No time limit. Marco can choose to do 99 out of 100 and save the last one until he is ready to do it. Or not.

 **5.** Exceptions made only by the Moon Goddess explicitly.

 **6.** Once an Impossible Task has been started it must be Accomplished, Failed or Undetermined as reviewed by the Goddess.

 **7.** Undetermined must fall under a strict criteria set by the Goddess, i.e. Marco fails to defeat an opponent because he gets teleported away by someone, the Task can become either Failed or Undetermined. If he got someone to teleport him away knowingly during the fight so he doesn't die _then_ he has it as Failed. However, if Marco was teleported by a foreign power that he had no prior hand/influence upon then it can become Undetermined and Marco can try to defeat the opponent once again, however Undetermined can only be used once per Task.

 **8.** Technicalities

Lot's of plot and lot's of drama and lot's of politics. Lovely.  
But you know what is more? Your thoughts.

Ciao,  
I AM NRG

 **END OF TRANSMISSION**


	8. Chapter X

**.**

 **Chapter XX**

Hestia

 **XxXxXxXxX**

* * *

 **20XX**

Marco Diaz is born

 **20XX**

Marco Diaz meets Star Butterfly.  
Marco dates Jackie Lynn Thomas.  
Marco earns his Dimensional Scissors from Hekapoo.  
Star Butterfly leaves Earth.

 **20XX**

Marco Wards the Earth Dimension

 **20XX**

Peace talks disintegrate.  
Marco [17] leaves Mewni for good and Wards Earth for the next 100 years via ***static*** Crystal.

 **20XX +1**

Mewni Civil War Erupts.  
Marco graduates Highschool and enters College.

 **20XX +3**

Marco completes the Impossible Tasks.  
The Binding is lifted from Marco.  
Monster Arm is destroyed.

 **20XX+2**

Mewni Civil War Ends.  
Marco graduates College.  
Star ascends to Queen.  
Eclipsa and Meteora vanishes from Mewni.

 **20XX+2**

Star Butterfly marries  
Marco Diaz and partner opens a bar chain among other successful franchises.  
Jackie married.  
Janna married.  
Alfonzo and Ferguson opens Alfonzo&Ferguson Entertainment Studio becoming multibillionaires.

 **20XX +1**

Mewni Crisis  
Mutiple Mewni Kingdoms Fall.  
Ludo and family perish.  
Monster and Mewman refugees flood Kingdoms still standing.  
Yvgeny "Buff Frog" Bulgolyubov perish.

 **20XX +1**

Magic High Commission is Decommissioned.  
Monster High Commission is Established by Katrina Bulgolyubov.  
Omnitraxus Prime, Rhombulus and Hekapoo are MIA.  
Marco Diaz helps terraform Mars.

 **20XX +1**

Alfonzo married  
Ferguson married.  
Marco Diaz opens an university with Janna, Jackie, Alfonzo and Ferguson.

 **20XX +2**

Hestia is born.

 **20XX +14**

Marrow Eater "Buttercup" and Matilda "Honeysuckle" perish.  
Buttercup's Library is burned.  
Honeysuckles's Orchard is blighted.  
 ***Static*** returns to Mewni.

 **20XX +1**

Mewni Falls.  
All surviving denizens flees to other dimensions and lives quietly. Royalty no longer holding any bearings and become common folk.  
The Butterfly lineage is lost. No accounts nor tales of adventures, exploits and deeds surfaces.

 **20XX +15**

Angelina and Rafael Diaz peacefully passed.

 **20XX +18**

Marco Diaz dies.

* * *

Hestia looked at the screen, her eyes hollow at the text rolling slowly by. Her eyes drifted to the other ones, almost mirroring but not quite the same, there were differences to be sure but they were so minute that it spelled the same thing for her.

Mom was still being displaced.  
She still needed to be sent back.

Hekapoo came once per day, it was reasonable.

But now it was 2 in 24 intervals. And Hestia was losing sleep.

She wanted to blame someone. Anyone. Her father. Her mother. Her family. Her fate. But she pushed the thoughts away, why her timeline was responsible would forever be a mystery to her, all she could do was hold the universe together.

She glanced back and saw Father Time, "Hows the timeline doing?" "Dunno…it's sad to be honest. It's trying to heal, doing it's darnest…but something keeps it from going along."

"Shipping war?" "Wha?" "Ahem, _War_?"

"Yeah plenty of that. But that's after this point. Look at this timeline, it's a mess."

"…so it's not the correct one huh."

"No…I think there's one true timeline and what we're seeing is the splintered off ones. Whether for good or for bad…it seems Mom are from those."

Father Time looked sadly at the timeline, thankfully one of the Diaz kids really enjoyed taking the hamsters for a spin allowing him to work and talk with Hestia. Poor child was in need of company, her family not taking it any better than she was. One of them actually fell ill.

Hestia was miffed it wasn't her but at the same time extremely worried too. If she grew too weak she wouldn't be able to send Hekapoo away.

Hestia turned back to the screen, her eyes looking over the countless ones that fell into ruin. Her finger gently traced a very special date,

"Happy Birthday…Hestia…"

And she slumped against the desk, Father Time's alarmed voice echoing…so far away…

 **XxXxXxXxX**

* * *

The timeline you just read has no real bearing on this fanfic story, it is just a representation of 'what could be', meaning I WILL and CAN retcon the crap out of it. It's just things that could happen, the timeline has been fucked beyond belief/relief and it is desperately trying to resolve itself to no avail, using various events and individuals to see if it will make things better. There's a lot of trial and error.

However, what IS real is the fact Hestia is worried and getting dragged through the mud each and every day.  
She can't keep this up forever.

Also, the site is not showing me any of your reviews, I can't tell you how frustrating this is for me. I respond to feedback timely and this is cramping mah style, er, update speed.

Le Ciao,  
I AM NRG

 **END OF TRANSMISSION**


	9. Chapter 9

.  
 **Disclaimer** : a fortnight is two weeks.

 **Chapter 8**

Operation Fortnight N313

 **XxXxXxXxX**

Marco sighed as he threw his gear off his person, he glanced at the clock, relieved he made it back before it was too late. He left home on Friday afternoon went to the Spiderbite Kingdom, was done by Saturday noontime, went to the Butterfly Kingdom took and completed the mission by Sunday afternoon. By the time he returned to Earth night had fallen and he was totally bushed, he took a brief shower, just enough to get the dirt and lingering smell off before folding into his bed and snoozing.

He'd have a midnight snack later.

Angie and Raphael crack open his door, seeing his prone form on his bed before they retreated back to their room, relieved.

"That boy, he's been staying out again."  
"His dinner's cold."

The parents sighed and just put up with it for now, Marco was no longer bottling his troubles and told them anything that crossed his mind. Much to their delight and embarrassment when certain topics were brought up.

Like how to say 'no' from a very insistent female. Angie mentally nodded in approval while Raphael was embarrassed, "No means no, Marco, they'll respect it." "Dad, you don't understand, they tried to follow me here."

"Oh? That's a problem, Marco?" Angie asked, he nodded furiously,

"Yes, it is, how are we gonna host a 5 story dragon?"

"Oh. That kind of female."

Since then Marco kept the girls visiting to a minimum, Kelly was a lively guest to have, Marco had to explain explicitly they were just friends.

"Ah, say no more, dear." His mother replied, Raphael was taken back, when the two left Angie told her husband, "That's his code word for 'crush' happens every time he used to mention the Jackie girl."

Still as parents they couldn't stop worrying over their only child, so young and reckless, it amazed them that Marco managed to keep his grades so good. While he did come to some classes late or showed up worse for wear, his teachers had very few complaints for them.

"He just got to be there."  
"Sometimes he smells like 'blegh'. Has he bought any exotic cologne?"  
"Hickies. The boy has them. I swear, back in my day at least we covered up. Hoeing is not a sport."  
"He needs to come back to the football team, he only played one game."  
"Marco is a fine young man, great grades, courteous, attentive. Bright future. But he was put up for Garbage Island not sure why."

His parents found the PTA meetings pretty funny these past two years.

Angie cast a look at her son though, _one day…one day Marco will leave on some grand adventure of his…and I'm afraid I'll never see my little chico ever again._

Raphael felt her worry and held her hand.

* * *

Marco roused himself from his sleep, he brushed the crumbs from his chin and shirt, a brief memory of him sneaking downstairs to eat played and he smirked to himself. He threw his legs over the side of his bed and stretched feeling pops across his back, shoulders and hips before he stood up doing a few squats and touching his toes. Feeling much more awake, Marco ditched his clothes and took his usual school get up: gray undershirt, red hoodie, dark jeans and socks.

It never went out of style for him.

He came downstairs to his parents already eating, they waved to him, "Ah, morning, son!" "Marco, come eat."

Marco sat down, greeting them and eating up the fried eggs, bacon and french toast and washing it down with some milk.

"Out all weekend?" "Mhmmm, yes, I came back before 9 last night so I slept good."

The parents merely nodded as they finished up and Marco ran back upstairs to get his backpack, he mentally ran through the list of things he needed and the assignments he did already, he stuffed them into his bag and set sword on a strap. Normally, bringing his sword would rouse suspicion but he couldn't leave it alone making his house a target so what he did was made the sword invisible after he left his house.

A brief show to anyone watching would know it wasn't in his house and he wouldn't endanger his parents. His parents were rightly against his sword at first but when he told them it would go back to his room at his say-so they dropped it. Thankfully, he put a replica in his room just in case they came a snooping, but he knew they wouldn't touch it especially when it shocked his father already.

He kissed his mother on the way down and waved to his father as he left, Marco walked to school, taking the bus was fine when the weather wasn't so good but that hardly ever happen during the school days. He passed many familiar faces, spying some of the usual trouble-makers before Echo Creek High School came upon his sight.

 _Ah, one more year…gotta make some good memories while I can._

 ** _You could if you just tap every hungry female that came sniffing for some Poundtown, MARCO. I've never seen such a picky male in my life._**

Marco mentally rolled his eyes at Monster Arm, the beast had grown quite impatient with him, even though the Roman Numeral 2 had gone to 1 it was taking an awful long time for Marco accumulate the necessary energy store to fry the disease. He suspected the numerous adventures and feats he had to do pushed him further and further from his goal.

Even if he did managed to kill Monster Arm he still had the Blood Moon Dance Curse to contend with and it wasn't going to be resolved any time soon. Marco wasn't keen on the idea of starting a relationship and watch it crash and burn because the curse would activate and nullify any happiness he could glean from it. In retrospect, Star had it better, as long as she refrain from touching Tom she would be fine however it was still doomed to fail as the curse was a sinister thing, often making the dancer the one to ruin the relationship making all the more bitter. Star was well within that path just as Marco did with Jackie years prior.

He pushed those negative thoughts away as he greeted Alfonzo and Ferguson, giving them a fist bump as the trio walked into the school. The years had done a great job on the three of them, still dorky and socially awkward, Marco the least though. Alfonzo had grown much taller, lanky but his muscles were catching up, he ditched his glasses and adopted contacts instead and got a decent haircut. Ferguson grew taller, not the same with Marco or Alfonzo but he definitely looked a lot better as his body compensate from the growth, his hair was better cut and the two making frequent trips to the karate dojo with Marco.

Since he came back to Earth, his friends were very supportive of his decision to stay on Earth for the time being…until they heard he was back at it again. Outraged, the two attempted to stop Marco only to fail miserably as Marco casually avoided them.

"Guys, it's not a big deal."  
"It's a very big deal! Marco, what the funky fresh man?"  
"Haven't you learned your lesson?"  
"…No, I haven't."

Aghast at his callous answer, the two sulked at the thought of Marco leaving again, however Marco assured them if they ever wanted to hangout he'd always be down with it.

They didn't believe him at all.

They went to Sensei hoping to get some advice, to their surprise he told them to just join his dojo instead.

"Why?"

"You just told me that Marco won't listen and when you tried to stop him, he avoided you. Of course he won't listen because he doesn't see you as someone who could stop him."

"Or we're not his friends anymore. He's terrible."

Sensei sighed, "Yes, Marco has been a lousy friend but you have to give the guy a little slack, he was probably thrown out of Mewni and still reeling from the experience."

"Why would you say that?"

"I heard from a friend of a friend of a friend that when Marco showed up back here, he was nearly butt naked walking down the boulevard, covered in blood, bruises and cuts. Said he didn't believe what he saw on the streets, thought he was one of those unfortunate people at first."

"Oh god, is Marco out for revenge?"

"Maybe, but if you want to stop him from going that dark and twisted path…you need some gains. A lot of it. Come here when you got free time from school and I'll make you harden warriors ready to stop Marco from doing evil outside of Earth!"

The three quickly forgot about their goal as they were caught up by all the improvements they accomplished throughout the many months. Marco showing up enough to spar with them and complete more of his training with his friends and teacher.

Marco made it a point to spend time with them, gradually they came around to the idea of Marco dimension hopping again, but he had to bring them sometimes as an agreement.

* * *

Marco was a little uncomfortable with talking with Jackie after their relationship debacle and him flaking their Sophomore year. Jackie remained cool with them just being friends, chatting and such, but they never brought up their tangled past or talks of Mewni other than that one time when Marco showed up back on Earth.

Jackie was relieved to see him again, after cooling off and having some time to herself she realized that Marco and Star relationship changed over time, they were friends, best friends and at the cusp of being something more. Jackie jumped straight ahead of Star but she knew eventually she would be overtaken by the live-in best friend, maybe not within the year but in the future. That fateful day, Jackie knew Marco couldn't get Star off his mind and knew it was time: Marco had to be free to make his decision.

She couldn't bear to see Marco not put his 100% into their relationship, when he was so invested elsewhere. Maybe she was insecure or she was just not compatible with the boy, but she could tell he was just not the same when they first dated. He had gotten pig-headed, still a gentleman and dork, but things changed with him.

Something powerful just told her it would not work.

Not when he was this befuddled. Letting him go was hard, he was so good to her…but so was he to Star. She couldn't fault him for that, he might have liked her longer but with Star, he got to know her better. That was the clutch between the two of them, no matter how much Marco desired her, Star had become something else entirely that she couldn't hope to match.

When he came back to school, she could see this aura around him: defeated and worn out. That wicked scar was a warning and even she and Janna knew what might have happened, but they didn't have the guts to ask Marco. So they speculated. While Jackie kept her distance, Janna was full steam ahead, eventually getting some things out of Marco, she didn't like Janna being so forceful but hearing Marco being so recluse with her and everyone got her wondering what on Earth happened?

Eventually, Marco healed, his attitude changing, him readjusting to Earth and everything seemed back to normal.

Then she heard from Janna that he was Dimensional hopping again.

Jackie merely sighed at the thought: Marco didn't change at all. Or rather he did but she didn't like it.

So long Marco had the taste for venturing into the multi dimensions their relationship would never exceed beyond just friends.

Then there was Star, she didn't know how to feel about the dimensional princess. Sure she was quirky and outgoing, very kind and sometimes trouble-maker, it didn't seem right to pin the blame on her. Except she had been harboring feeling for Marco for quite some time. Jackie always felt that Marco did like her, who would send those cute pictures and greet her everyday at school but didn't have the confidence to take it to the next step then Star came along and pushed Marco, whether he wanted to or not. For a time, she thought the two would be so great together, never putting herself in the equation until that sleepover came along.

Forced to speak, Marco put it out there that he liked her and while she was flattered by the gesture but she didn't take it to heart. Until something came up again, Marco forced to talk because of that neck thingy. This time she jumped in and found that their relationship was good, sweet and happy. Marco was her boyfriend and the meaning meant so much more than she knew the aspects that accompanied it.

The dream was good.

Jackie Lynn Thomas wished her high school sweetheart felt the same too.

Marco Diaz, the Safe Kid, the Misunderstood Bad Boy, Nachoman…when she heard he left for Mewni after their break up, she couldn't help but feel betrayed by his decision. A small part of her, hoped he would not find solace there. It was a petty thought, mean-spirited and uncalled for, but she still harbored it in her heart.

And she later regretted when she saw him again all defeated.  
One part wanted to comfort him, the other wanted to refrain.

Jackie walked through the familiar hallways, smiling at the Senior banner before she caught sight of Marco with his friends, their eyes briefly met. Marco gave her a warm smile and she grinned, her cheeks tinting up a bit.

 _Still gets me…every time._

* * *

The moment Janna heard Marco was back on Earth and permanently caught her by surprise. It was no secret that she was the bane of Marco's existence, always doing some tomfoolery with him to get on his nerves but to any other person you'd think she was flirting with the boy.

And that she was.

No one would call her out on it, unless they wanted to get raided by her later in the day and with her mystic knowledge of the occult. So she enjoyed a relative happy time harping on the poor boy for most of their lives.

The poor boy was juuust so dense, they would have beautiful mulatto children when they were older, but he was playing hard to get. So she was playing the long game, stealing his identity to forge up some fake marriage papers and whatnot down the line, hey if she couldn't be his wife the first time. She would be the second time. Or third. She got it all: blackmail material, social media passwords, banking information, embarrassing photographs, his internet browser history, that was her clutch, the ace in the hole.

When he ran off to Mewni and intended to stay there, all of that work: gone, useless. Janna felt cheated. All of that hypnosis she put on him. Wasted too. That was a primo control she had over him, she could get him into many incriminating photos and positions. That bent her out of shape and sought to get back in the thick of it.

With Jackie out of the picture and Star out of sight, she thought it was going to be a cakewalk. She was literally the only female left to which he could cry upon her bosom. Foiled again when she heard he was leaving to Mewni.

But now that he was on Earth and permanently she could assume the position she coveted above all else: Marco's girlfriend. It would bring up some bad blood between her and Jackie, but she had begun to date other dudes and it wasn't like she and he were still going at it.

Marco was fresh meat.  
And she was the only competition.

When she first saw him, she could see that he was a shadow to his former self, he barely reacted to her, and then she tried to contact Star only to find static. She started to put things together and asked him why she couldn't get a hold of the princess, but he merely shrugged. StarFan13 received the same treatment.

Janna kept an eye on him and he did what he was told if only in a bored pace and face, he seemed extremely put off by everything around him. His friends tried and tried but Marco wouldn't break from all the heckling he received if anything he looked bored with their questions. Seeing no improvement they just let him be and things began to chum along like before.

Like before Star Butterfly showed up.

Frustrated by the lack of care Marco was exhibiting and his constant side stepping, she cornered him that fateful day. She shuddered, knowing this; _this_ Marco existed! No wimpy Safe Kid, no overcompensating Misunderstood Bad Boy! No. This was Marco Diaz at his finest.

She discreetly asked Jackie if Marco ever changed when they were alone. That would raise a red flag normally but Janna had always been crass so Jackie answered he had always been a gentleman, like always.

Janna savored the information: Marco only unleashed the Latino beast within him with her! Not even Jackie had the privilege! The joy she felt knowing it and owning it!

Since then, Janna prod and poke Marco, getting him to fess up more and more, finding out that he had Ward the dimension and his sword was a literal bypass to it, meaning he was the only one who could leave.

Snatching it was a bad idea. Attempting to follow was just as bad.

Marco had grown up and he wasn't taking anyone's bullshit. Hers especially. But even after all these changes, it didn't deter her, oh no, it made her more and more determine to make him hers.

At least Jackie's eyes didn't stray too far in his direction.

For now she was content in watching Marco and making him hers, it would take some doing but she could wait. Marco didn't seem interested in pursuing a relationship either. Janna and Jackie speculated that Marco had a fallout with Star or something of that nature, whatever had happen she was going to use it for her own gain.

Losers weepers.

Janna sighed as times seemingly pass her by, here she was: Senior Year. Just one more boring year and it was off to college or work, whichever she fancied. Greeting classmates, she saw Marco with his usual batch of friends, some of the jocks even fist bumping Marco, he did play once for the football team.

She uncharacteristically toss her hair ditching her beanie for a moment and using her phone to look over herself. She grinned and pass by the boys, Jackie somewhere in the background, Marco and her eyes met and she casually winked at him.

He flicked his eyes elsewhere.  
One side of his lips tugging upwards slightly.

Janna threw back her beanie, seeing Jackie give her a quizzical look, _success! I still got it!_

* * *

Moon found Star in Marco's room, she had to admit it was even more busted up than last time she was inspecting it. There were a lot of angry mewmans at Marco, especially those knights that were incapacitated by Mina Loveberry and decided to fling their angry at the culprit and convenient scapegoat: Marco. They didn't have the guts to mud sling Eclipsa and it was so much easier to do it to Marco when he couldn't defend or fight back.

Star merely left her mother as she looked around the room in guilt. Marco was aware of so much things on Mewni, she felt he had to have an ulterior motive but she pushed it out of her head. Marco at the very least she believed was just. He would not stoop to Eclipsa's level in vengeance and hoped that his meeting wouldn't rile anyone up too much.

Moon sighed: whatever it was…she could guarantee the royals would see only wickedness in Marco.

Despite the outcome being more than likely a disaster, she would make the invitations for the other kingdoms to convene. Marco would get his meeting and she would keep her word even if only 1 or 2 decided to show up. That would be enough she hoped.

Moon knew River felt guilty at the sight of Marco but he couldn't muster the courage to apologize and what happened took them by surprise, he insisted the next time Marco showed up that he would make amends. He may not be powerful in terms of his wife but he would find something for the Dark Knight.

She insisted that he just whole-heartedly apologize to the boy.

"Moon pie he isn't going to just take an apology for what we did to him! Why if I was in his boots I'd—" "YOU'D DO WHAT RIVER."

River laughed nervously, "I'd throw a fit, but nothing too serious." Moon rubbed her temples, "Yes, I suspect Marco is itching to throw a 'fit' in the kingdom, but Marco—"

"Now Moon pie there's the problem: we think of what a wholesome Marco would do. We put him on a pedestal where he is only good then one step out of it and we turn on him like bad goat-pig cheese. He's not the same squire boy we had 2 years ago."

"River…that's profound."

"I do have my moments, dear. Wait."

Moon wrote the invitations short and to the point and sent them out, she wanted to get all of them to come under a false pretense. But realized that if Marco showed up suddenly they would be rife with shock and betrayal, something she couldn't afford. Even if it meant that no one would show up or those who did came with the bad intentions aimed at Marco.

It didn't take long for the messenger to return, he was rightly miffed and gave her a piece of his mind, his attire was torn in places and even suffered a black eye. Moon took the letter replies and he marched himself to the Infirmary Wing, she took his actions without any anger, she refrain from telling the messenger lest they refused and ran for it.

She walked herself to the messenger having his face checked, she apologizes and asked if he wanted to take a paid vacation for her withholding information. He glared at her and told her,

"My liege, I live to serve you, your family and the kingdom in my capacity. If you told me I was to be assaulted during my runs, I would have gone in complete plate armor and still did it."

"Thank you."

"I'll take that vacation post haste."

Moon walked over to the other Mewmans that Marco had saved, after being treated they had their families visit them frequently. Higgs and Sir Lavabo were the most afflicted out of the bunch, Moon looked at the group sadly: only 8 made it back alive. The stone coffin Marco brought had the other remains and the families were distraught at the sight and news.

Moon had their plots made hailing them as heroes on their gravestones, their families appreciated the honor however didn't understand.

"They…brought to light certain dangers. If not for them we would be off worse than before." intentionally vague, the families took the answer from the Queen. However, Marco left a detailed report on her desk the following day and she couldn't be more appalled and fearful of the development.

She read the letters from the messengers and it ranged from callous to downright hostile by the Lucitor Kingdom especially. They immediately blamed her for not detaining him for they wished to expel their wrath upon Marco, however she wrote in the invitation prior if they wanted their grievances answered to they had to be at the meeting on the designated date.

Most of them were worried, some of them refusing to attend, the only ones willing was the Johansen, Cloud and Lucitor Kingdom. Not surprising.

Moon leaned back on her seat, thinking that the four would be enough to sate Marco on the destined day.

* * *

Star threw herself on her bed. How could she have known? She couldn't be blamed entirely right? If Marco wanted the Impossible Tasks thrown off he should have just came back to Mewni, talked to her, talked to the Goddess. If anything, Marco's suffering these past 2 years was on his shoulders, his fault, he was just making a case for himself.

In a way, she knew she was right, but at the same token, horribly mistaken and selfish. Marco could have but Star made it clear that she didn't want to play nice with him going so far as to physically strike him.

Both stubborn and both suffered for it.  
She spent hours thinking it over, replaying the events until she couldn't take it anymore.

Star pulled herself from her bed and walked to her mirror, calling Pony Head, "Hey, gurl—hol' up, B-Fly you look terrible."

"Hey Pony Head…Marco's back…"

Pony Head's face fell at the words, she drifted closer, "Yeah? So…Earth's open right?" "No, it's still has the Ward. I tried but…"

"So what you wanna do B-Fly? Cuz I was thinkin' next time he showed his face, yours truly—" "Pony Head did I do all of this? Cause all of this?"

"Gurl what are you talking about?"

Star looked at her hopelessly, "Remember the Monster Bash? If I just told my parents what went down that night…we could have avoided this! All of this!"

Pony Head shook her head, "Star, you're my bestie and I love you, but when you said Heinous was there that was it. Done deal." "Why?!" "Because she might be an old coot but people would still listen to her over us 'party animals'. With this Meteora jumbo even more. That's what daddy said anyways."

"…what else did he say."

Pony Head sighed, "All this 'politics' is making my head spin gurl, but all I know it's bad news that Marco's back. What else could he bring?" "Tasty nachos?" "Yes, but besides that. So what Star, you catching feelings?"

Star shook her head, "I'm just…confused. What am I suppose to do?" "I dunno know, B-Fly."

The princess hung up and called Tom next, he was less than pleased to hear Marco was back. His horns had grown back and stronger than ever but he kept a vigilant eye for any dangers towards it. He answered and greeted Star happily at first then it soured when Marco's name was brought up, "Yeah I heard he was back, my parents and I are going to attend the meeting."

Star looked at him, the gears in her head turning, "You're going to fight him, aren't you?" "Are you surprised? My parents were furious that someone would dare harm the Lucitor heir and crown prince. They and I don't care if he IS a Dark Knight, he will pay for his crimes."

"He's your friend and mine."

Tom frowned at the words, "He isn't anymore, Starship. Would you call someone your 'friend' after they hurt you like he did to me?"

The thoughts and memories of her whipping Marco around her room before savagely beating him came to mind, _I did the same to him…_

Her silence got Tom concerned, as if she disagreed with him with his view.

"Star…do you…" Tom started before he shook his head, Star knew where he was getting at, she reassured the Lucitor heir, "No, Tom…I'm with you. Remember that."

He smiled and they talked about something else that didn't pertain to Marco, the upcoming meeting or politics; their mood changing but Star felt uneasiness in her belly the entire time.

* * *

Higgs woke up in cold sweat, her hand clawing at the air, she gasped and breathed merciful gulps of air.

Again: nightmares.

It was when they put the bag over her head. Then they beat her. They beat unconscious. The one time being a strong squire worked against you: you could take a hell of a beating.

She wiped the sweat and reached for the glass of water and drank deeply, she put it on the night stand and looked around her room. She and Sir Lavabo were separated since they were in critical condition when Marco brought them, she had a cozy room to herself and no doubt so did the other. It was nice just staying in bed all day.

Then she got fed up with it.

She was so used to working, training and toiling day in and day out that sitting and sleeping got plenty boring. Then again she would gripe about doing her squire duties when she was fit enough to do it. She flop back on bed, feeling the soft mattress, this was a luxury that she didn't have in her room or even in her childhood home.

She fought tooth and nail to get her position, beating the other Pages to be a Squire and someday a Knight. She didn't enjoy being a Squire, it was merely a stepping stone to get her family out of the lower district which began to crowd, refugees taking some bulk. She worked tirelessly to get in good graces with her Knight and hoped she would be a Knight a lot sooner than most.

Yeah, she was just in it for the money and position, and her moral compass wasn't pointing true at all times but a morally good Mewman didn't get you far, unless you were well off. If you didn't have a silver spoon up your arse you were shit out of luck. You had to be cut throat otherwise.

She smirked at the thought of Marco Diaz, the _royal_ squire, a nerdy name for a nerdy human.

His rank automatically outranked every squire at the starting line.  
The little asshat technically outrank Knights. Even her own.

But everyone kept their mouths shut. Power like that tend to abusive.

She admit she didn't like Marco very much, but she had to give him credit for beating the crap out of the Magic High Commission, Tom Lucitor and Pony Head Princess. She revoked that credit when he headbutt her before running away.

When he left she was quite happy, enough to actually slack off from her duties for a day. She got double the work the following day but she felt it was worth it.

Higgs looked at the ceiling, she never thought all her life she would be kidnapped and held for 6 long horrible months. She remembered by the first month they remained strong. Unbroken. But at 3 months that amounted to heaping horses shit.

She heard them beg.

For food.  
For water.  
For sunlight.  
For fresh air.  
For death.

It was mind numbing what they did to them, once they put a dagger outside of the barred cells. They all reached for it, one of them got it and tried to slit their throat.

Blasted blade was rusted and brittle. Broke against his skin. Higgs shuddered when the mewman broke the shards, collected it and swallowed it, cutting their throat from the inside down to their belly. It took 4 hours of wailing and screaming before they succumb to internal bleeding, vomiting the shards and blood.

Higgs nose wrinkled when the body began to rot, the air so foul and the writhing noise of worms gobbling the feast.

They put another dagger and they all reached for it.

By the time the 5 month came along, she was nearly helpless and utterly hopeless. She was waiting to die. Whether from the stagnant air, the frequent coughing and phlegm build up, the lack of food and wounds that fester to the rat nibbling on her.

She was ready.  
Her will to live gone.

She couldn't even cry, her tears dried up from her husk body, her thoughts flashes erratically. Once, she thought it was a horrible dream, but she woke up to a rat about to bite open her eyelids. She caught it and happily bit into it, fleas and mites crawled all over her face but she didn't care, she tasted blood, her own or the rat, she bit harder.

Later that day she puked all that she ate.  
She scooped up the better bits and ate it.

When that spider monster came, she knew, she knew she was going to die. It told them if they were still alive they would die in a panic, planning to make a fire and let the smoke do the deed. It laughed and left…then Marco came along, the scuffle roused whoever was left, Higgs barely dragged herself to the bars, his voice different, but she knew it had to be him.

 _But why though? Why did he come?_

Higgs chalked it up to fate, besides Marco seem to be the type of guy who would fall in love with his own heroic deeds, his own legend. She was fuel for it, another teary-eyed damsel to add to his collection retelling how he saved her.

"The next time I see Marco, I'm going to sock him in the face." she said to no one in particular.

"Wow. You ungrateful bitch."

Higgs froze and turn to the side to see Marco standing there with his sword being tucked away, the golden portal behind him.

"Uh—" "Save it."

Higgs scrambled up as Marco turned around to walk back out, "Marco! Marco. Geez, I was thinking aloud. Don't take it so personally."

Marco stopped and looked at her, he leaned towards her, "Well? Punch me Higgs. Don't talk tough if you don't plan to do it."

Higgs threw her punch and it barely turns his cheek.  
Marco glared at her as if insulted.

"PUNCH ME LIKE YOU MEAN IT HIGGS."

Higgs went wide-eyed and step back, suddenly afraid at the change of tone and mood of the usually casual squire, "M-Marco, I just—"

He frowned and stalked closer, she shuffled back until she pressed against the wall, Marco was bearing down on her. Higgs didn't meet his eye.

"I take a lot of shit from people over the years Higgs, from friends, family and enemies. I don't expect you to know nor understand frankly I don't care. But I'm sure you know to be even grateful at the very least."

Higgs could feel the scald off his words, "I-I didn't mean it like that…I mean how would I know you—ummm, why are you here?"

Marco narrowed his eyes at the segway, "I came to check up on you and Sir Lavabo, make sure you were being taken care of. I see they are with you. Now I'm going to check up on Lavabo. Good bye Higgs. Have fun with the rest of your life." He replied coldly terse.

Marco turned his back on her and walked for the door, Higgs felt indignant, sore and regretful all at once, "Marco, I'm sorry. And thank you for saving my life."

Marco paused.

"Anything else you want to get off your chest."  
"…have you been to your room?"  
"I have."  
"I…wrote a few of those."

"…and let some pig goats shit in your closet. I was really mad at you for beating me up. I wanted pay back."

Marco looked at her, "You petty bitch. So long Higgs. Hope you get your hair back." She ran a hand over her scalp, thankfully it was growing back feeling the orange fuzz, she watched him leave before she sat back on her bed.

"…what an asshole." Higgs sighed, she smiled to herself, "Thank you, Marco."

"You're welcome, Higgs."

"Ahhh!" Higgs yelped as Marco's head popped out from pillow, a portal allowing it. Without warning Higgs socked him and he yelled and fell back through the portal.

Higgs breathed heavily before she looked through the gateway, Marco on the floor, "Sorry! …but you deserved that, nerd!"

* * *

Sir Lavabo woke up as he heard something going on outside his room, he paid it no mind, there was always something going on in the Wing. When the door rattled he roused himself up again before a golden portal opened and a familiar face walked through.

Marco Diaz, royal squire and squire of the Wash.  
Reluctant Dark Knight.

He smiled at the older knight, "Sir Lavabo."

"Ah, Marco. Please, no need for formalities, we're both of the same rank…knight to knight."

He smiled as Marco sat next to him, he was taking a lot longer to heal, being older did make things harder for him.

"Well, Marco, come to this old knight for dating tips? Still know how to wash your socks and small cloth yes? The right detergent and softener ratio?"

Marco chuckled, "Yes to all but the first. Ladies are far from my mind." "Ah, Marco, ladies are important. They make a house whole. Who else could use a Mewni corn cob as a dil—" "Okay, stop, you're grossing me out."

Sir Lavabo chuckled, this wasn't his first check up since he was left in the Wing's care, Marco checked up him frequently, "What brings you here Marco? Not just my health I hope."

"Always your health."

"Ah Marco, I'm getting better, not just so fast."

Marco smiled, Lavabo smiled too before he leaned over, "Where have you been all this time Marco? Up to no good?"

"All over the dimensions, and I'm always up to no good."

He chuckled, thinking back to all the times Marco came, feeling it was time to know, "Seeing the state of Mewni…I have to know, Marco: do you hate Mewni for what they did to you?"

There was no edge to the question, but Lavabo always wondered if the young squire held resentment. To the dimension, the kingdom or the people, if he sought blood and from them and the Butterfly Kingdom, he would fight the boy, let fate decide who lived or died. But deep down, he probably wouldn't strike Marco down, he would reason with him, talk to him, understand what ails him

Too much burden placed on the accused. Too much prejudice placed on the accuser.

Someone had to be wrong, someone had to be right, too absolute. He knew Marco for a short while, but Marco never struck him as a vengeful person, at least he hoped not…the stories he heard of Marco's sword, the power it wrought: unbelievable. If he was so inclined, a kingdom could vanish at the swing of his sword…probably. Still, he hoped Marco was beyond his hate. His pain. His suffering.

Lavabo sincerely hoped.

Marco looked off to the side, "Hmph, you too huh? Honestly, I don't know. Mewni did good things for me. And bad things too. Does good over take the bad, does the bad over take the good? If so should I make my judgement based on it? I don't know, Lavabo, but seeing Mewni fester at it's own self-inflicted wounds, I don't think I need to step in and stab it dead. They are content in killing themselves. Slowly. Painfully."

The older knight quietly look at him.

"Those are hard words Marco." "…thinking of ways to make me not act out my anger? Lavabo, I've seen that face many times as a mercenary just so you know."

He sighed sadly, "So you really are thinking of letting Mewni die? You've grown to be a hard man Marco."

He shrugged, "I hope that's not all you think I am. But know this, Sir Lavabo: I won't let it just die without a chance. Catharsis or conscious, whichever prevents me."

"That's a silly way of saying you're a kind man."

Marco laughed, "I'm a foolish boy. Here I am helping a dimension that branded me traitor and put a price on my head, I've spoken to others: fellow mercenaries and rulers if I should just let this place die, you'd be astound at what they said…but if I did follow through with their advice, I know my soul will suffer, a guilt lodged into me that I don't deserve eating and gnawing until my deathbed. I hate this, Lavabo. Why should I care?"

Lavabo looked at his face, there was plenty of anger, loss and suffering but there was something else too.

"Because you know deep in your heart you never wanted to hurt Mewni or anyone on it. You don't want to put thousands to their deaths, nor the innocents that deserve to burn alongside the guilty. You're a hard man Marco, but it doesn't mean you're any less a kind man. Do what you feel is necessary to uplift and absolve your guilt or crimes…if we fall despite your aid, your mercy, your grace…then you did all you could. Don't blame yourself, Marco."

The older knight patted his shoulder as Marco broke down, crying into his hands.

* * *

The day Marco Diaz, the royal squire of Star Butterfly, made Dark Knight by Eclipsa Butterfly the Queen of Darkness fought the royals and Magic High Commission had made unintended consequences.

However, despite all the terrible things that happened because of his actions, many saw it as a light upon their dreary lives, both monsters and Mewmans, who both toil at the behest of the kingdom or society they fell under.

Many saw Marco as proof that even divinities could not stand against the might of someone who chose to fight, to make a difference in their lives. Others saw Marco as a means to exploit the rampant fears that he made unintentionally, a certain spider monster hailed Marco, becoming quite a fan even so far as to sneak into the Butterfly Kingdom to bask in his glory. Many more following in his footsteps to pay tribute to Marco Diaz, in their own devious and cult ways. Most mewmans and royalty saw Marco as a trouble rouser, most likely inciting riots and disorder, they wished nothing more than the most unpleasant end for the human especially because of his connection to the Dark Knights and Eclipsa.

And the painful few saw Marco reviving a lost order, Dark Knights were not exactly rare, one popped up at least once a century often as a villain but these few knew Marco would not kill for hate, slaughter or a show of force. He wanted to do good, change the perception of the Dark Knights. They were there in the Trial and they were ashamed for not standing up for him.

They believed in him and when he came back, they would serve gladly under him in atonement and duty. The few made an everlasting vow in secret to aid him when they could.

They called themselves:  
Knights of the Hood.

* * *

Buttercup wrote into a ledger, tallying up numbers and making notes.

It was a quiet day.

Years ago he remembered whacking certain squire across the grove, he smirked at the memory and wrote a note down before closing the ledger. He stuffed it into a shelf and glanced behind him, a massive collection of books and ancient text he either wrote himself, found, preserved, stole and outright fought for many many years ago.

His collection was his life alongside of Matilda, Honeysuckle, his beloved and wife.

The only one in the Lizards that view him not as a traitor but as a monster of valor and honor. She lamented not being there for Oblivion, she was a skilled apothecary. She could have saved him, but Buttercup told her not to dwell on it, they had yet met each other, there was no way of knowing.

Buttercup glanced upwards and for a moment, feeling the vibrations before walking to the surface, he smiled seeing his prodigal student return in his trademark outfit although he looked more man than boy.

"Ah, if it isn't the diabolical Dark Knight, come back for blood!"

Marco snickered at the words, Oblivion barked with laughter the ghost beating him to greeting their student, "Aye, the lad is that and much more."

Marco smiled at his two teachers, "It's good to see you two again, Buttercup, Oblivion."

"Ah, lad, you gone made for a quiet two years. I needed some action back in the grove."

"Yeah, enough of that Oblivion, this ghost tried to pick a fight with me sending books flying at me. I had to don my silver glove to righteously pimp slap him."

The three roared with laughter, Oblivion managing to temporarily sink into the ground, but after some catching up and more chuckles, Marco straighten up, relaying what he intended to do,

"Well, the Wards will hold up until the Peace Talk after that…well, those were a good 2 years you afforded me, Buttercup, thank you."

The Lizard nodded, "I hoped you used it wisely. Did you find those teachers of yours?"

Marco's smile faltered at the words, Oblivion and Buttercup looked at him with concern, "Yeah, about that…I did find the teachers."

"…" "Well, don't keep us in suspense."

Marco shuffled his feet a bit before sighing,

"I was never taught. The Blood Knight, Blight Knight and Death Knight refused to teach me at all. I was a mercenary for the better part of two years."

"…wow, I didn't think it would go so poorly."  
"I'm sorry."

Buttercup sighed so did Oblivion, "No need for apologies lad, you did what you could do, no use beating yourself about it." "I hope you still expanded upon your knowledge and education?"

"I did plenty of that. Learned from the best in the mercenary circle, learned to handle more weapons, skills and techniques, politics and government, hunting plenty of that, all sorts of things. I really got lost in the dimensions."

Buttercup and Oblivion nodded, "How's the Traitor's Sword Dark Knight? Has it served you well?"

"Plenty, if I didn't have it I would have died many times over. And it's been pivotal with all the Impossible Tasks I managed to do." Marco pulled it out to look over it's splendor.

The two looked at him confused, "What's that?" "Oh, it's because of the Blood Moon—er, never mind it's not important."

The two looked at him curiously before nodding, "Mhmmm fair enough. By the way, were you here some time ago?"

Marco nodded, "Yeah, I was dealing with a problem."

"And the scope of it?"

"I tangled with Eclipsa and Meteora. Beat the two of them."

Buttercup gave him a inquisitive look, "Your skills and prowess along with the sword would have served you well Marco, but I have my doubts. Had you been taught by those teachers it would have been a cake walk. How did you triumph over someone with that much raw magical power? And her dark magic to boot?"

"And her daughter, I heard she's quite the monster." Oblivion added.

Marco rubbed the back of his head, "I…I had some help dealing with Eclipsa and Meteora."

"Do tell, Marco."

Marco smiled at the words, he had one heck of a story to tell them.

* * *

 **[POST BATTLE WITH ECLIPSA AND METEORA, BEFORE THE SEQUEL]**

Kelly lounged in her queen size bed, reading up books Marco brought from Earth for her, literature from his world was so strange but still fun to read. She liked them enough to ask Marco for more every time he visited and she glanced up. All around her vanity mirror were pictures and souvenirs she acquired over the years with her friends and on her own, pictures of her friends, a necklace or two, stickers, badges and pins. Clothes strewn on the floor in heaps or some laid on chairs, her closet was brim with clothes and shoes and her desk were stacked with more books, magazines and knick knacks she found.

A small cactus in a ceramic flower pot under a lamp. A recent gift from Marco.

She reminisced at his first eventful visit.

 **[FLASHBACK]**

When Kelly got the hastily made text and when Marco didn't respond back, she immediately thought the worst had happened. For a while she was just extremely tense unable to sit still and constantly scrolling through her phone, every day felt strenuous as she waited for him to show up. She didn't try to contact Star or the rest, knowing something was going on and she rather hear it from Marco first.

When he finally arrived at her room after putting up the Ward, she could only think one thing: he looked terrible, the scar on his eye, the broken aura around him. She caught him as he fell to his knees, his sword falling alongside him forgotten.

He cried.  
Kelly let him.

It was worse than the time he caught Star kissing Tom, at least they didn't know at the time so the blame felt 50/50 but this time. This time was way worse. She was going to attend the Trial but she got caught up and missed it, if she did attend she might have fought alongside Marco from what she heard from him and later from the newsfeed.

He retold her all that happened: what he did and what tried to keep from happening, but it quickly spiraled out of his control. Marco blamed himself for making these worse and to make matters bleaker, he couldn't go back there to learn from his teachers, Buttercup and Oblivion, on how to make things better. He was alone in his plight.

Kelly was troubled and speechless.

Unsure what to say, she just let him pour it out, thankful her parents were out today. Marco didn't hold back spouting over regretting ever coming back to Mewni, thinking Star would be ecstatic at the sight of him, hoping for more glorious dimensional adventures, so on and so on.

While Kelly's heartfelt sympathy went out for the boy, she was a little annoyed that Marco felt everything was a bad experience but after his heavy rant, he snuggled up to her, she stiffen, as his breath tickled her neck, fingers running through her bushy green hair.

"At least…you were there Kelly…" his words weak but what he implied wasn't.

Kelly didn't know how rebuke him at such a critical time, but she believed honesty would be best, he had to understand now lest he continued to think like that well afterwards, "…Marco. I know what's going on. And what you are doing. Please don't. I know you're going through a lot but… I'm…I'm not your rebound. Please don't make me that."

"…"

Kelly pulled back and saw his face, he looked down, she was right in her assumption. She cupped his face, letting the words spill as if natural, "Marco. I know things look bad now…but it will get better, I promise. I know you're stronger than what has happened. I'll be here—"

He looked at her hurt, horrified at her words and hopelessness in his eyes.

"I'm not! I'm not, Kelly! I'm just Marco Diaz! The Safe Kid! A boy! A human for pete sake! I have no magic! No supernatural lineage! No royal blood in my veins! Nothing! I have nothing!"

Kelly watched him cry again, spilling down his face, "If it wasn't for Star I would have been the same boring kid back on Earth! If it wasn't for Star, I wouldn't have this false sense of confidence in myself! If Star never showed up, I wouldn't be anything else than the Safe Kid until I died!"

Kelly didn't console him, she frowned at his words, tears in her eyes now, "Marco. Star isn't responsible for everything good in your life! When I first met you—look at me, Marco, quit sniveling!"

Marco looked up, his eyes red, "Marco, Star's not responsible for you being a good person, a kind person, that comes from here and here." Pressing a warm hand against his heart and head, she smiled, "You're compassionate, you care, you might not have any of those things they have but what you have made me think of you better than all of them. Look at me, Marco, having what they have, won't bring you joy as you will believe; sometimes being just a normal boy can be it's own joy. So what if you can't do something on your own, you can always ask for help from your friends. And you have that. Marco, you don't have nothing nor are you alone. You strive to be better, you try to excel at every aspect of yourself, you pick yourself up when you fall. Marco, you've done things only you could, do you think Star or Tom could have made Tad leave without force? Or magic? You just talked and Tad readily left, I tried and failed and I was his girlfriend."

"…"

"Don't believe me? C'mon Marco let's sit down and talk about all the things we've done that no amount of magic or special gifts could do."

They sat on her bed and talked and talked, sometimes they laughed, sometimes they cried over things, sometimes they just talked about happier times.

Their bellies eventually growled and Kelly insisted on Goblin Dogs, Marco said pizza. Kelly frowned, saying it would take to long, but Marco took his sword, the Traitor's Sword as he called it, slashed a portal and hopped through and came back with a steaming box, delicious pizza hidden inside.

"That's a cool sword…wait, I thought the Ward blocks anyone from entering?"

"This sword is special, it turns into whatever I need it to so I wanted it to bypass the Wards and it can."

Kelly nodded, taking the answer, "From 'Sir Buttercup' right?"

"Yeah…I need to find my new teachers…I don't think they will be as fun as my old ones, but hey you never know right?"

Kelly smiled, seeing a bit of a happier Marco underneath all his pain, "You're right about that."

From that day forward, Marco made frequent visits to her, to talk and hang out. She told him to land on a particular area of her room, a mat placed there so he could land on it without getting her carpet dirty and give clues she's been having an 'unauthorized boy' in her room. Tad never had that problem, he hid in her hair.

 **[FLASHBACK END]**

Kelly heard the familiar portal and she spun ready to greet her friend.

She held back a scream when Marco felt face first into her room covered in blood and mud, his gear peeling off him and rolling across the towel carpet. The day before he asked her to put towels around the mat, she didn't understand at first but understood now: he was going to need it.

"Marco! What happened to you?" Kelly ran to him as he labored to breath, he grabbed her arm as he struggled to stay awake.

"…water…"

Kelly looked for some.

Marco grabbed her arm again, "No…bath water…bring me to the…"

Kelly nodded quickly and pulled him up, she grimace feeling the filth on her but she got over it and put him in the bathtub and turn on the faucet, she tossed her dirty clothes aside and began to run the water over him, soaking his hair and tattered clothes.

"No, Kelly…just let me…" Marco pushing her away before he slumped against the wall, blood oozing out of his wounds, Kelly just stared at him.

"Undine…please…"  
"…?"

Marco closed his eyes as he spoke again, as if begging, "Undine please…I know you're upset…please I know I'm wrong for doing what I did…please heal my wounds…"

Kelly continued to stare, he was probably in shock, he was delirious. But before she could move Marco sighed heavily making her pause, the bath water darken with mud and blood,

"Marco, let me clean you, those cuts are going to be infected." She said softly.

 _That won't be necessary maiden. Marco, my opinion of you is lowered when I thought it would sink no further, barging into her home like this. For shame._

Kelly flinched as the water began to rise, free of filth and began to wrap around Marco, he sighed as Kelly watched, fascinated as the lacerations and bruises all over him slowly close and heal, patches of dark purple eased back and cuts stitched back together making whole skin, dull thuds came when foreign materials exit the flesh. Marco winced and groaned as audible cracks and pops reached Kelly's ears,

 _Foolish boy…broken bones, torn muscle fibers, ligaments and tendons, if not for myself and what little Seraph's power left you could have been crippled for the rest of your life._

"Thank you Undine…I'm forever grateful…"

Kelly looked around curiously, unsure who she was hearing but it seemed Marco knew this 'Undine'.

 _…don't do anything foolish like this again, Marco._

Marco sat in the bathtub, the clean water wrapping him protectively as the filthy ones went down the sink. Marco glanced at Kelly and blushed seeing her in her undies, "Um, Kelly, why are you…?"

"Never mind that Marco, who is this Undine? What happened to you?"

Marco looked down for a moment, the water seemed to be agitated by the question to, enough for it to move and warp, making itself into a beautiful woman caressing Marco from behind, Kelly felt suddenly on edge. She looked nothing like Mewman, monster or any other race she had ever seen before, the woman looked like the epitome of viewing a beautiful waterscape: a tranquil beauty.

However the aura she exude like a raging tsunami or devastating flood.

Marco chuckled nervously, "I kinda picked a fight with Meteora and Eclipsa. Good news is that I won."

 _Yes, clearly with all this maladies you're the winner. You're lucky Seraph isn't here at the moment to throttle you._

"Yes, and this Kelly is Undine, she's the metaphysical representation of water and all that encompass it. She and her sisters Gnome, _Slyph_ and **Ignis** currently inhabit my body and when needed I can call upon their powers and control of their respective elements to my need."

Kelly felt her mouth hang open.

Undine ignored her and began to run her hands over Marco, he winced when she began to heal his other minor injuries after the more major ones.

"How—when did you get, er, meet them?" "Very recently actually…I came across their home, apparently one of the first places made by the universe, it's pretty massive, luckily I landed on the capital and met the natures there. Kelly, that place has every element of nature there, some I've never heard of before, it was really enlightening."

 _And a secret, you can never tell where the First Born lives Marco. I will no sooner slit your throat whether you tell by torture, trickery or admission. Remember that._

Kelly was alarmed by the words. Undine glared at her next, her eyes every shade of blue,

 _And you will keep this secret too, 'Kelly'. If you talk, I will know and you will regret it._

Marco sighed, "We're not telling anyone, Undine. No need to—" Undine hissed and a water blade pressed against his throat, Marco calmly looked at the elemental, Kelly's hand was reaching for Undine's neck on instinct.

 _Say what you will, Marco. I do not care for either of your lives. Healing you was at the behest of Ignis, I'd rather you bled to death, but Iggy would never shut up if I haven't._

Despite, the harsh words and the literal blade at his neck, Marco's face soften, he smiled, "You really are kind, Undine."

The words made Undine's features harden but she said nothing else, _shut up Marco, I'm working._

It would be another hour before Marco left the bathtub, hobbling for his sword, since then Kelly took care of cleaning the mess and dressing herself. She was mortified Marco saw her in near nude, but the way he looked over her made her blush furiously, _he liked what he saw~_

Kelly shook those words out of her head.  
They agreed not to do anything that would jeopardize their friendship, something they both value highly for nearly two years now. But lately…

"Undine has done all she could do…I better go home." He reached for his sword in the mat but couldn't even lift it up. Kelly sighed and pulled him to her bed.

"You're in no shape to be tearing portals. C'mon, take a nap."

Marco argued at her insistence he rest but ultimately cave under when the soft mattress welcomed him. Kelly locked her door and watched over the boy, deciding to hear his story after his slumber.

She kept an oversize shirt and a pair of baggy jogging pants for him, playing it off when her parents found it as her pajamas. They were suspicious but since they had not seen hide nor hair of Marco, they just assumed it was a fashion thing for youngsters her age.

Marco took those clothes after his dip and slept in them, Kelly couldn't help but watch over the boy, now healed but tender, he looked just like any other person, not some reckless idiot picking a fight with a nigh unstoppable beast.

Kelly's lips tugged upwards seeing even the oversize shirt bugle in places, Marco's ectomorph was starting to look like his father, buff but overly, he was leaner in some places. And the thin fading scars she caught glimpses of whenever he was undress torso-wise, gave an air of ruggedness and adventurous soul.

His face too, his boyish features were fading away and slowly being replaced with a mature one, his jawline and cheekbones were more prominent. Kelly retracted her hand when it came into view, nearly tracing it.

She caught her breath as she sat away from the sleeping Marco, she looked back at him then to her hand, cheeks flushed, _what did I almost…?_

She contemplated her confused feelings until Marco woke up hours later, a hard thumping on the door. Kelly helped Marco get to his sword and flee before Kelly opened the door to see her mother, frowning,

"H-hey, Mom, did you need something?"

She merely looked at her daughter and pushed her way in, she looked around, Kelly hoped she left nothing to clue her mother in. Said parent gave the room a cursory glance, "What took you so long to open the door?"

"I was doing…stuff." Kelly said lamely, her mother sighed before walking out of the room, "I want to meet him the next time he shows up. No more of this sneaking around."

Kelly was dumbfounded, "W-what are you talking about, Mom?"

Her mother only gave her a knowing smile, "I'll tell daddy to keep the shotgun empty. I want to meet him."

* * *

 **[Day of the Meeting]**

Marco looked at the calendar for a moment before nodding to himself.

"It's time to set some things right…"

Marco slashed himself a portal and gave a glance at the closet where his Ward Crystal had begun to flicker: after today the Wards would come crashing down.

And Mewni and everyone else could come through unimpeded into Earth.

Marco tighten his grip on the sword and walked through.

 **XxXxXxXxX**

* * *

All events took place during the fortnight period minus Kelly's own. I wanted to highlight what the other characters have been up to since they might not show up for a while down the line.

Whew, I also need to crank that fan fiction lever if I want my work to be out before the rest of the season, I will more or less undo all the great plot I already made, something other. I dunno. I just feel it would downplay the fanfic.

Anyways, lots of things to read, I hope it will answer some questions and otherwise baffle you. You're welcome.

Also, I don't know if I should be alarmed but I heard the series moved from XD to the main channel. If that were the case, would it change to be more kiddy in nature? It's all nit and gritty right now, if it loses that...we'll see from there.

The story will continue in the next chapter: **The Peace Talker Incident**

 _tu ne me reconnaiss pas?  
I AM NRG_

 **END OF TRANSMISSION**


	10. Chapter 10

.  
 **Disclaimer** : Fun isn't something one considers when balancing the fanfic universe. But this ***types*** …does put a smile on my face.

 **Chapter 9**

The Peace Talker Incident

 **XxXxXxXxX**

* * *

Marco glared at Moon, the room was barely full.

Pony Head and her father were there, the princess moodily texting.  
River Butterfly with one other Johansen watched him, their battle axe on the table.  
Tom, King Lucitor and Queen Lucitor staring daggers into him.  
Moon and Star Buttefly sat in the middle, Moon in battle armor and Star in her very own as well.

This was the meeting.

Minus the silent but death glaring Magic High Commission members who stood guard and witness.

Rhombulus looked ready to pop a crystal vessel in his head.  
Omni kept his body to a minimum cosmic cloud, his gaze solely on Marco.  
Hekapoo looked the most upset with the arrangement.

Marco sighed loudly, "Queen Moon…I know you contacted them, the other royals, but this is an embarrassing display for the unity of Mewni."

He got many loud coughs from the table, Tom and his side a lot louder, Marco ignored them before taking up his sword, they all tensed.

The MHS members leapt forward, Marco threw them a disgusted look, his sword shimmering,

"Oh, for—if I wanted to…you know what just keep your laurels firmly planted on those chairs, I'll be back with the other royals."

The MHC and Moon were agitated by the words, "Marco you can't just barge your way into their kingdoms and demand they attend! There's something called common decency and decorum! And besides Marco you gave them a choice to attend."

Marco shrugged, "I really don't care. If this meeting changes the geopolitical landscape of Mewni they will be even angrier at not being present and at all of you for making the decisions without them. Now, if you excuse me."

Some of them stood up to lash out but Marco slashed a portal and leapt through and it snapped shut before Hekapoo could follow.

Moon looked troubled at the words and the royals sat down and began to grumble.

"I don't believe this…here is the Dark Knight, standing right in front of us and we're letting him do what he wants!" "You are more than welcome to attack him King Lucitor, however I nor we will not be responsible for what befalls you. Also we will bill you for all the damages." Moon said irritated.

King Dave Lucitor kept a stiff face at the warning, he sat down while his wife, Wrathmelior Lucitor then stroked Tom's hair.

Tom let it be and glanced at Star, she looked worried. How he wanted to go and comfort her, maybe rub it in Marco's face when he got bak. Tom was bitter over Marco's actions to him and Star, firstly he went on and on about revenge he would have upon the Dark Knight then the prince rationalized that Marco was just a fuckin' git about the politics of Mewni. To which made him want to pound his face in even more.

In the two years Tom decided to take an active role in his princely duties: foremost was hand picking knights to serve him as his elite guard, one of which came from a long line of Hell Knights. He trained alongside them, learning how to fight and their duties in his kingdom, when he told them of the appearance of another Dark Knight made by Eclipsa and wielded the Traitor's Sword they were beyond angry.

Every kingdom in Mewni at least the more ancient ones had at least one tale about a legendary weapon that saved their respective kingdom however was lost and never found again. Hearing Marco's devious exploits with the sword, many began to speculate the mythical weapon of yore was in fact the Traitor's Sword he carried. Other than the Butterfly Wand a regalia to its namesake, the Traitor's Sword proved to be it's equal.

Many secretly opted to have the blade taken from Marco's corpse should he ever 'mysteriously' fell. However, hearing his triumph over many individuals first and foremost the Magic High Commission, many found it unnerving he was already a powerful warrior to contend with.

The Magic High Commission also went through a rough patch due to Marco's actions. Upon hearing the Dark Knight's triumph over them, many begun to resist their authority, even going so much as to defy them in the face. They were the police of the multi-dimensions, their positions was solidified since conception. However, every time they were beat, it was quickly and covertly muffled, like the incident with Ludo-Toffee.

But with Marco Diaz, the newly minted Dark Knight, there was no chance of that: too many witnesses especially with the Scribe's logs and heirs of different kingdoms. It was inevitable. Ridicule happened very rarely to these divinities from the populace they policed, with each other, it was frequent, Rhombulus taking a majority of it from Glossyark. So it came as quite a shock when mewmans, monster and other dimensional folks spur their authority and often they found themselves in the short end of the stick.

Rhombulus zapped his haters into crystal, some even willing to prove that they weren't afraid.

Omni quietly left the jeers, he could easily flick them and watch them land painfully, but he was above that. Most of the time.

Hekapoo took no one's sass at all even on her best days however she experienced the most of the ridicule since she had to personally test and forge the Dimensional Scissors for clients. Her great 'customer service skills' diminished over the years.

She was already plenty fed up with multi-dimensional folks sauntering up to her on a daily basis, thinking she was just an easy piece of thicc. It was quadruple after Marco defeated her. Now she had to contend with much more vulgar advances from client and everyone alike leading her to have a shorter fuse than normal.

More than once did she pinned the blame on Marco to Moon, Rhombulus and Omni. The fact he was able to Ward Earth from her for the past 2 years made her violently angry at the mere mention of Marco. To this day no one on Mewni sans Buttercup and Oblivion knew how Marco accomplished an unheard feat.

So when the trio saw him in his usual hoodie and sword in the meeting room after their fateful battles two years ago, they did the only reasonable thing: maliciously beat the stuffing out of him.

And they nearly accomplished it too.

The entire MHC were mere inches away from smashing a bored Marco into the floor but thankfully Moon got them to stand down. It took a lot from Moon to get them to settle down before the other royals arrived and they viciously spew insults until then.

Marco ignored them.

And now he was leaping across Mewni and snatching royals as they began to fall around the meeting table via a golden portal appearing from above.

"Are we really going to let Marco do this…" Hekapoo hiss, Omni and Rhombulus looked at her darkly.

"…hey, I want to smash his face in too…but Queen Moon said only after the meeting."

"He doesn't deserve to speak or barter or even beg for his worthless life…Queen Moon must know this is a folly."

The MHC didn't like the fact that Moon caved and accepted the meeting in the first place, but after relaying what Marco dug up and the endless debate if it was fictional, they relented, but just barely.

Omni was the most against it, stating that Marco somehow afflicted him because his cosmic crystals were not working properly. They just showed some very disturbing images, sometimes it was just pitch black as if the Marco he was viewing no longer existed.

Still, Marco asked them to just let him get the meeting going and when it was done, then they could decided what to do. So they humored him, they'll listen to his outrageous notions whatever they are and then they'll punish him accordingly for wasting their time.

The room slowly filled when each royal fell from above unto a seat, they looked around in surprise, fear, betrayal and anger seeing everyone else there, looking at them with amused faces.

King and Queen Pigeon stared at them.  
King and Queen Kelpbottom dripped with anger.  
King and Queen Spiderbite was itching for answers.  
King and Queen Jaggy Mountains sat craggily.

When the final royal showed up did Marco reappears and bowed to the audience. The kidnapped royals immediately roared in anger, some tried to leave but the MHC put a stop to that, stating if they were stuck in there, so will they and the royals got in a screaming match with them. One positively murderous glare from Hekapoo made them grumble and took their seats again, the killing intent wave causing some of them to pale.

Hekapoo threw a dirty look at the Dark Knight, who didn't make eye contact with her. _Fucking little shithead made me do something for him! I swear if he runs I'm going to  
_ It was lost in a mad murmur of twisted things the femme fatale would do.

Marco waited for them to get situated before announcing himself in great flourish,

"Thank you all for attending this momentous meeting distinguished ancient, noble and royal houses of Mewni. I am Marco Ublado Diaz, Dark Knight of Mewni, you have graciously bless me with your attendance in this gratifying meeting to discuss the sorry state of Mewni to which all of you are responsible for."

Everyone looked indignant at the accusation despite the benevolent charismatic air Marco managed to utter to the smoldering group. His polite amused face dropped, adopting his mercenary business face, the royals felt the change and fidgeted.

"And none of you are leaving until we get some goddamn civility, trust and communication between all of you."

"Dark Knight Marco, you—!" King Lucitor started.

"YOU WILL SPEAK WHEN YOU ARE TOLD." Marco coldly spat, the royal froze at the words. Tom rose from his seat and Marco looked at him, his eyes bright, "You wanna go again Tom? Last time I did it with my bare hands and you still lost."

Tom turned livid at the words, every royal looked frighten at the building altercation, the meeting had just begun and it was already a complete clusterfuck. Queen Moon got ready to call out to Marco but the Dark Knight deflated his anger and wave a hand, "Sit down, Thomas, we can hear your input later."

Tom looked at him with crimson eyes, "I do not answer to you nor do I heed your words, Marco! You think you're some big shot because you can raise your voice and wave a magical sword? Hah! I'm not afraid of you, _Dark Knight_. And neither should anyone else be! We practically outnumber him, what is he gonna do?!"

"He can run." Hekapoo mutter, Marco's eyes shift to her and she glared at him.

Marco folded his arms, he frowned at Tom despite the other royals muttering to each other at the words, "This meeting is a farce! A waste of time! Marco, you're a criminal on Mewni, why is he even allowed to hold a meeting like this? Who agreed to it? Why is he allowed to do what he pleases?"

Eyes fell on the Butterfly Monarch, Moon merely stared at Marco who slowly clapped his hands getting the attention refocused on him, "Wow, Tom, you can actually put things together. On the surface that is. However, they can not dispute that Mewni is crumbling like a soggy slice of cornbread, that's why even if they hate me, think I'm a criminal or a it's waste of time…they will hear this Dark Knight out begrudgingly. That and I'll just put their sorry ass back in this meeting again, so why waste time and energy? Better to hear the farce and be done with it, once."

The royals were silent and Tom looked at them in surprised, he looked at Star and she bit her lower lip, the prince threw Marco a deep loathing look. Queen Moon coughed into her fist, "Marco, why don't you excuse—"

"No. Tom did ask a valid question. And though he is still inexperienced in royal court, how do you expect him to grow? If he is treated like a child."

Marco ignored the collective Lucitors' glare at him, he looked at the group for a moment seeing small but visible signs of alike thinking to Tom. Marco could help but sigh, "Alright, seeing as all of you have something to say, you might as well say it. ONE AT A TIME. And since we're all here out of our very busy schedule, keep it brief. Once all of you are done whining. You will listen to MY whining. Who wants to share their grief fir—?"

"MARCO!" Pony Head Princess yelled, everyone including her father winced at the volume as she shot for Marco, horn first. She grinned savagely at him before she wobbled in the air as Marco caught her by the horn before it skewered him,

"…"  
"…this scenario played differently in my head."

"Good to see you too Lilacia."  
"Oh you did not just use that, Earth Turd!"

Marco rolled his eyes before he let her go, "What's your grievance, Pony Head?"

She looked at him before circling him,  
"You here to cause trouble?"  
"No."  
"You hear to kill anyone, in this meeting or Mewni?"  
"No."  
"You gotten a lot better looking since I saw you, got a girlfriend now?"  
"No."  
"What a waste, Earth Turd!"  
"Hmph, your bestie gave me a great deterrent."

Pony Head gave him a quizzical look before looking at Star who looked down at her lap, King Pony Head spoke up, "Boy. You attacked my daughter the day Eclipsa Escaped, what do you have to say for yourself?"

Marco shrugged as Pony Head flew back, "Not that my words will be taken with authenticity, but she attacked me and I threw her into a wall where she stayed by her horn."

King Pony Head drifted towards him, the entire bulk masking Marco, "You put hands on my daughter, Dark Knight."

Marco stared at him, "If you think I struck first…tell that to the Scribe Logs, they recorded everything that happened. Even if that massive typewriter didn't make such a racket."

The king looked at Moon and she pulled out a sheet of paper and read it,

[Pony Head]"Oh no you don't Earth turd, no one and I mean NO ONE makes my bestie cry! Ya hear me!? And beating her boyfriend, whatever."  
[Pony Head]"Ohhh boy I waited to do this for a looong time!"  
[Marco]"SAME HERE."  
[Pony Head]"Ohhh…that's just rude, Earth turd."

The king came over and read it too before verifying the authenticity of the logs before sighing, "I, King Pony Head, end my grievances with the Dark Knight as he was the one provoked by my daughter to defend himself on this matter. I will hear his 'whining' without objection."

"Just like that Daddy?!"  
"Zip it, Cupcake."

Pony Head grumbled but didn't do anymore than that

Marco looked at the next one: King and Queen Pigeon who flew around him before landing on a stand. They cooed a few times before one of them pulled out a picture of their son, Prince Rich Pigeon from underneath their wing.

Marco took the picture and looked at them, "This was already answered for and you were the ones who observed it from your own son. I know I took you against your will, but this is urgent. Will you hear this Dark Knight out?"

They stared at him for a minute. Unblinking.  
They cooed.  
Flapping their wings.  
They crapped on the floor in an intricate pattern.

YES.

Marco bowed to them and they flew back to their chairs.

King and Queen Jaggy Mountains stood up and looked at Marco, "We attended that Trial and bore witness your birth, Dark Knight and later took to battle that endangered our lives. What says you?"

"I indeed took to battle however that is the sudden appearance of Mina Loveberry that endangered not only your life but everyone else's. You were evacuated so you didn't see the battles that followed. However, answer me this: you bore witness to my sullied knighthood, why didn't you stop a Dark Knight from being let loose upon Mewni? Any of you could have stopped Eclipsa, why didn't you?"

"…"  
"…"

"Did you need a scapegoat for when things went sideways? Looking for a convenient target? Because I was surely made into one."

"…"

"Are you in league with Eclipsa?"

"No. And I will prove that when I have my turn to speak."

"…"  
"We, the Jaggy Mountains royals, will benevolently hear out the Dark Knight. However, after you're done speaking, we will speak up once again. That goes for everyone else. Are we in accord?"

"Yes. It would be folly otherwise." Marco bowed and they sat back down.

King and Queen Kelpbottom stood up next, "We too were there for the Trial. We heard of your exploits, Dark Knight. We don't hold any particular grudges against you personally. However, what do you intend to do with Mewni? What is the nature of your intentions? You are here for something."

"You might find it hard to believe but I only intend to balance the scales, that you, all of you, are responsible for. I have said that Mewni's current sorry state is the result of all of you, myself included. However, if you wish to hear what I have to say, then you will hear it after everyone's grievances."

The Kelpbottoms examined him for a moment before nodding, "We, the Kelpbottom royalty will hear out this Dark Knight for the rest of the meeting. If only begrudgingly."

Marco bowed before looking to the next one: the Spiderbite royals.

They stood up and looked at him critically, sizing him up and down before their eyes resting on his sword, "Dark Knight Marco Diaz…I have some questions for you and it is mandatory for you to answer truthfully."

Marco nodded, "I will answer truthfully, Queen Spiderbite."

"Good, good…now answer me this: is this some clever ruse at a grab for power."  
"No your majesty."  
"Liar."

Marco frowned, she looked at him scornfully, "You were made a Dark Knight by Queen Eclipsa Butterfly. Was a squire of Star Butterfly. Came to the aid of the Butterfly Kingdom and it seems only contacted the Butterfly Kingdom whereas the other kingdoms you did not. I would think someone like yourself can see where I am getting at: is this a power play for the Butterfly Kingdom? Are you still currently employed by the Butterfly monarch in some way?"

Marco shook his head, despite the look of outrage from Moon, Star and River at the Spiderbite ruler, "I am not employed by the Butterfly Kingdom nor am I employed by any other kingdom. I am here on my own free will to right the wrongs you have all wrought upon Mewni."

"How noble of you." King Spiderbite sneered.

"So…you think I am deceitful?" "You are a Dark Knight. Everyone here should be wary of that." The jab was against every noble.

Marco sighed and pulled out the Traitor's Sword, "You all know what this is right? The fabled Traitor's Sword …the Sword of Pendragon…the Sword made to End the Immortals' Suffering, I can command it to electrify those who lie in my presence."

"You can also command it to lie to us." Queen Spiderbite spat, the others murmured in agreement.

Marco sighed and placed the sword upright, the balancing it on the razor tip, "I, Marco Ublado Diaz, ask you to bolt those who dares to lie. Myself included."

Marco looked at them all, "Princess Pony Head what do I make best?" "Uhhh, you know what you make, Earth Turd." "Humor me." "Ugh, whatevs, it's Nachos…I think."

"No it's salsaAAAAAHHHHH!" Marco yelled as a bolt of lightning came from the sword and struck Marco sending him flying to the wall. Everyone present couldn't help but snicker.

Marco stood up and dusted himself, his face not sharing the mirth. Everyone shut up at the sight.

"As you can see, it wouldn't hesitate to retaliate."  
"That proves nothing." Queen Spiderbite retort.

Marco looked at her and stated plainly, "I have worked for you."

Everyone looked at her, Queen Moon's eyes widen as the queen looked confused at the words, knowing what was going to happen next, "No you haven't, why would I ever hire you—ACKKK!?"

Marco merely stood there as a fork lance the Queen and she fell on her arse, he shook his head, "Is this proof enough for all of you or do you want to try being electrified by this legendary blade personally?"

Her husband helped the queen up; she flipped her hair from her livid face, "HOW DARE YOU! ATTACKING A QUEEN! I'LL HAVE YOU DRAWN AND QUARTERED!"

Marco narrowed his eyes, "Enforce that threat if you dare."

Everyone sans Moon, the MHS and Lucitors were perturbed by the words of the either of them. However, Moon spoke up, "I believe we all can agree that the blade will suffice that neither party will lie. Are we agreed on this matter?"

The Spiderbite royals glared at Moon, "Oh, mighty convenient that you make that call."

"Would you rather I make it." Marco challenged, "The reason it shocked you is because I DID work for you."

They gave him a quizzical look, Marco reached inside his hoodie and pulled out a familiar skull mask. Everyone tensed at the sight of it minus the Lucitors'.

Marco looked at them all, holding the mask aloft for all to see, "I am StudMuffin, Mercenary Extraordinaire, I have worked for countless of clients and undertaken just as many contracts. From you, you, you, and you, and even you." Marco made a careless pointing gesture to everyone in the room in exaggeration.

Everyone went pale white at the information, Marco looked at them all while putting the mask away, "And if you still dispute my claim…I will say exactly what you made me do for you. All of you have employed this Dark Knight. All of you: are guilty by association now."

"You…you fucking traitorous arsehole! No one will ever hire you ever again if you—!"  
"But I don't care." Marco said quietly.

The royals sat there stunned.

"I don't give a flying fuck about my reputation or my standing in the mercenary circle. If that is what it take to make all of you see reason, make you stop this petty infighting and do your damn job for the people and for Mewni…so be it." Marco snarled, Queen Moon and Star stared at him.

The two rulers stared at him before they sat down, eyes wide, "Speak Dark Knight…and be done with it…"

Marco looked at the rest, waiting.

River stood up suddenly, he took off his crown and ran a hand across his balding head, Marco looked at him, "Marco, m'boy…I know we did you wrong two years ago…and prior to that as well. I want to tell you, not as King River Butterfly or River Johansen or as any royal capacity of Mewni, that I apologize to what I did and said to you that day."

Marco looked at him, everyone feeling a sudden tense aura from the Dark Knight, "Straighten that tongue River. Mean what you say, I'll spare you from groveling."

Eyes fell on the Traitor's Sword, bits of lightning began to circle it.

"Marco, my father already apologiz—!" Star cried, Moon was ready to join in, but River held out a hand stopping them, his eyes on Marco,

"No, Star…he's right, I'm still shying away from what he is due, I owe him that much as a man…Marco, I apologize for giving you false hope that you could easily have been a Knight of the Butterfly Kingdom from my words alone when I could not make it so. As well as giving you that thoughtless gift, my mucky meat blanket that adorned your shoulders after you left Mewni. I…have no excuse why I did that Marco, if I could I take it back it, I'd do it in a heartbeat. I'm sorry, Marco."

River stood waiting for the inevitable.

"I can see where Star takes after for procrastination, sit River, you don't even speak for your kingdom any longer. What says you?"

River sank back to his seat, Moon and Star stared horrified at the him, the Johansen member stood up, face full of fury, "If yer thinking I will stand for this outrage, then yer—!"

The royal nearly fell over when Marco suddenly appeared before him, the wind dancing around his ankles, "And I will not waste my time. I'll throw you back to your kingdom and grab another royal until I find the one WHO will listen."

The Johansen stared before Marco turned his back to him walking back to the forefront. The Magic High Commission suddenly nervous, not one of them could keep up with that blistering speed.

"Well Johansen Clan member, what says you."  
"…we'll hear you out, Dark Knight…but know this: we will repay this affront you have shown."

Marco darkly smiled at the words, "Good, I look forward to it. Next."

Tom stood up along with his parents, they looked around the room, seeing the faces of terrified or beaten faces, they looked at Marco, "So…this is your true colors, Marco? Either we bend a knee from intimidation or something worse? You are just like the Dark Knight of old, nothing has changed."

"This is how you conduct yourself, Dark Knight, I do not feel any remorse for what happened to you and this meeting has been nothing short of a folly! You spread fear and mistrust to everyone, look at them! They can't believe what they allowed a madman to do this to them!" Dave yelled, no one made any eye contact with him, "You cowed these honorable royals into submission! Your predecessors would be proud of you! Vile, unfeeling, blood-thirsty beast that you are! How many has been felled by your hand? How many stained that once righteous blade, Dark Knight? Is everything you touch corrupted, do you damn those who fall in your wake? What says you, Dark Knight? Can't talk? Baffled? Because it's true! You've bathed in the blood of your victims! Killed innocents in frenzy! Poison noble warriors! Butcher their defenseless families! You are naught anything but a damned monster not fit to stand before any of us! You are not even worthy of our spite!"

"And to top it all off, Marco, you're just a filthy and lowly human with a sword not fit for your grubby little hands. I bet you thought you could be an equal to any of us, just because you rubbed shoulders with Star, Pony Head and myself. I admit you got me fooled Marco, you really did. Some friend you turned out to be, Marco, thinking I put Star in good and capable hands, but that day I saw what you are: a liar, a betrayer and a fool."

Tom walked towards Marco, Dave frowned seeing the connection between the two, "Everything you have done so far pales in comparison to what you had done to my kingdom personally: you attacked my heir, my son, endangering our noble bloodline. The other kingdoms may quake at your words, but we will not. We will not fear your retaliation. And after this pitiful meeting is over, you will pay for your treacherous crimes!"

Tom stood before Marco, the both of them nearly each other's height, despite the vitriol Dave and Tom threw against Marco he didn't even look fazed.

 ** _You have to admire the commitment the two pissant have for you, Marco. You can actually see their rage boners! Gawd, these two are really riding that 'I hate Dark Knights' dick! Long dick style I might add. Aah…shut them the fuck up already, Marco._**

Marco mentally sighed at the words of Monster Arm, while the parasite was a vile thing, it did have many insightful views over the years that were pivotal for Marco to achieve what he wanted. And the many crass things it said. Admittedly, he stole some of MA's material, something the parasite never forgiven him for.

Marco clapped his hands at Tom and Dave, even Queen Lucitor looked at him, she had been silently for the majority of the meeting. She knew the history of the Dark Knights however she also knew that he was knighted against his will. However she was still angry over Marco's actions over her son, her quarrels with Marco just fell below her husband and son.

The Dark Knight continued to clap in a slow and mocking pace, getting everyone nervous sans a few, "So the long and short of your teary eyed story is: I'm human, I'm a Dark Knight, I hurt your troublemaker of a son and I should jump of a cliff and die."

"You can do the last part right now." Tom spat.

Marco shook his head, "I will admit that I did beat Tom up barehanded, I am a Dark Knight courtesy of Eclipsa and used the Traitor's Sword to spill blood. But everything else is what other Dark Knights have done before me. What they did does not and should not be pinned upon me."

Tom and Dave got ready to retort, but Marco's visage fell upon them,

"But who am I kidding right? You all fucked up and need a convenient target to pin the blame for your inadequate governance upon your kingdom and of Mewni. Yes, blame the Dark Knight, it's the easiest target because you damned them in the past why should the present be any different? I don't see Eclipsa get even one-tenth of the flak I received, because you all are afraid of Eclipsa and her factions and also insinuating that the Butterfly Kingdom is also responsible!

"Let me ask you all this: how kingdoms fell since I came to be? How riots, disappearance and murders are pinned on me when I was stuck behind my Ward? You are quick to point fingers to myself, to Eclipsa, at each other but never in your wildest dreams that you believe you are in fault! You all live in some delirious utopia daydream that everyone else is causing the problem but never you…it could never be you."

Marco looked at his hand for a moment before he put it over his heart, he winced, "And if I'm just like my predecessors…blood-thirsty, pitiless, cold-hearted and blooded, who will spare no one from my blade, crusting the soil in the blood of the innocent and using underhand methods for my devious gains…" Marco groaned as he pulled his hand back, as if he was pulling something out and held a closed fist to royals.

"How could I ever bear to have a Shimmer of Seraph residing within my heart?"

Tom and Wrathmelior looked as if they were physically struck as a small drop of iridescent golden light hovered from Marco's open palm. The other royals and the MHS members felt the pulsating light washing over them, it felt uplifting, their more negative emotions and thoughts lessen and more positive ones more predominant.

For a the first time many of the royals felt as if the past two year's problem weighed on them less, their line of thinking much more clearer. Even Star felt better the more she bathed in the Shimmer.

Tom groaned being so close to it, Marco took noticed and held it before him and he backstep, Dave yelled at Marco, the light's effect rebuffed by Dave's anger.

"What the fuck that is Dark Knight, put it away!"  
"Why. Because your son and wife can't stand Seraph's Shimmer, fine then. How about Haven of Hallow?"

Marco put his other hand over his heart and pulled out what looked like a black pearl but it didn't shine when the light touch it, oh no it remained just as dark.

Tom began to quake at the sight of the dark droplet, as did his mother, Dave looked at it with some foreboding, Marco frowned seeing Tom so afflicted by it, "This, Tom, is Hallow's Haven, something you could manage to withstand…but you can't. You cower before Seraph and shunned by Hallow…what are you even Tom."

Marco looked around, his hands holding both droplets, "This is what you would normally call 'Light' and 'Darkness', but it's not. I met the two individuals that embody them. These are just pieces of Creation. 'Light' has the ability to create and so can 'Darkness' it just takes upon different forms. Neither one is bad, neither one is good. It is the wielder who decides what it is capable of."

Marco held up Hallow, "Hallow can uplift your spirits but not as well as Seraph, Hallow instead allows you to understand your negative emotions and aspects that encompass it, allows you to rationale and perceive them. From there Hallow becomes Seraph and Seraph becomes Hallow."

Marco held the two and the droplets changed, one becoming the other. He winced when he heard a familiar but angry voice from above, the royals flinched as the voice roared, the one that followed softer but more chastise.

 _[HOW DARE YOU MARCO!]  
 **[Marco…]**_

Marco put the droplets back into his heart and the room fell to be gloomy again, the royals looked at Marco curiously, "Where did you find those…things."

"Sorry, can't say or they'll gank me." Marco shrugged, his mood a lot more relaxed.

"That doesn't prove or make anything you did any better!" Dave roared. Marco rolled his eyes, a frown on his face again. Tom pulled himself up, angry at being reduced to a wobbling mess.

"You still are in the wrong, Marco!"

"Oh, am I? I bet you're referring to when I fought you in the Tower. Fine, let's see what the Scribe's Logs have to say about that."

Moon glanced at the Lucitors before giving Marco a reproachful look and she pulled out a sheet of paper and read it, despite Dave's death glare,

[Tom]"Dude, you're making things worse for yourself, why don't you just—"  
[Marco]"Clearly, you're blind Tom, I was knighted against my will and attacked. I'm not sure how things are done here in Mewni, but I know I'm not resisting arrest if I am provoked and defending myself against unwarranted attacks!"  
[Tom]"Really making my girlfriend look bad for making you her royal squire."  
[Marco]"You're making a big mistake Tom."  
[Tom]"No. You are."  
[Star]"TOM! MARCO STOP!"  
[Tom]"Yeah, your karate gimmicks won't work on me."  
[Star]"Tom! Stop this Marco! Just stop already!"  
[Eclipsa]"MARCO!"  
[Star]"Tom don'—!"  
[Tom]"RAAAAAA!"  
[Tom]"I'm going to run you into the ground!"  
[Marco]"Damnit Tom stop this! What the fuck do you think I'm doing this for?!"  
[Tom]"Whatever it is, it doesn't matter! You hurt Star, I'm going to hurt you!"  
[Marco]"Urgh, fine then! No hard feeling Tom…I'm gonna put you down!"

Moon closed her eyes and held out the sheet of paper to Dave, he frowned at the sight of it, pushing the hand away in disgust,

"That is obviously a forgery."

Dave yelped when the sword zapped him.

King Pony Head floated up, his eyes fiery, "You dare call me a liar!? You very well know that Scribe Logs can not be forged! All our kingdoms agreed and signed by treaty that it can be used for authenticity for court, governance and otherwise, Lucitor!"

Wrathmelior looked at the two before reaching over and taking the paper and read it, she examined it extensively before sighing and looked down for a moment before nodding, a bit ashamed for Tom's actions, "True…Dark Knight…not at fault."

Dave tried to protest but Wrathmelior glared at him and he merely closed his eyes and sat back down, Tom threw a dirty look at Marco before taking his seat. Marco looked at Wrathmelior for a moment, seeing where Tom got his demon heritage.

"Lucitor…will hear…Dark Knight."

Dave and Tom were not happy at the decision.

Marco looked at the last royal to speak: Queen Moon Butterfly and Princess Star Butterfly. The queen pursed her lips for a moment before eyeing the Traitor's Sword, knowing it would shock her for falsehood but so would Marco. She stood up and looked at Marco seriously, "Marco Diaz, you were once Star's royal squire before turned Dark Knight, I want to know why you refused to answer truthfully then…where you have been, what powers you just shown us and where your allegiances lie presently."

Moon glanced to Star, "My daughter would like to ask something as well, if you will permit it."

Marco nodded without pause and gave Star a glance before looking at all of the royals for a moment, the MHS members inched closer: this was it, finally some truth to what happened that faithful day.

"To answer Queen Moon, that day Mina Loveberry accused me she only managed to say myself, the other half is Princess Star Butterfly."

Star shakily sighed.  
The rest didn't look too surprised; they all thought the Butterfly monarchy had a hand in it anyways.

"I refused to answer because every kingdom was involved in it as well."

Cue spit take from all the present royals.  
Followed by outrage.  
Marco talked loudly over the commotion, as if it was the most normal thing to do,

"If I did answer then I would have implicated everyone then. And not just the royals here, I mean every royal and noble house, high and below. It doesn't matter much anyways, it's water under the bridge."

"HOW?!" demanded King Kelpbottom.  
"NO IT ISN'T!"  
Similar yells followed.

"A party was devised for Mewman royals and Monster to intermingle, to stop the discrimination from continuing to the next generation if Mewmans and Monsters could see they weren't that all different from each other."

"WHO? WHO MADE SUCH A PLAN!?"  
"ANSWER US, DARK KNIGHT!"

Marco sighed and shook his head, "It was spearheaded by Star Butterfly, myself and Pony Head Princess. We went to kingdoms to obtain signatures."

"WHAT THE FRESH FUCK!?"  
"CUPCAKE?!" "Daddy it is not like that—fuck you, Marco, you snitch! I hope you have ass whoopin' insurance!"  
"Queen Butterfly, explain yourself!"

Marco took the sword and brought it down, a resounding thunder boom made everyone's teeth jitter, "Oh, don't go pointing fingers, your heirs took part willingly! Even if Star did mastermind it, your offspring took part, you are guilty by association anyways…none of you are blameless."

"Then why has it taken this long for this to surface?!"

Marco folded his arms, "Easy, because all of you decided to plug your ears, build walls, fortify your defenses, raise an army and refuse to cooperate with each other. Had you first response was not to do that, you might have known years earlier."

Moon sighed, "I've tried to speak with you all, but you turned a cold shoulder to me. It took a Dark Knight to get you all to convene for once."

The royals sat there, steaming from their handmade disaster.

"As for my two year sojourn: I went off exploring the multitudes of dimensions, eventually making myself a rather distinguished mercenary in many circles and dimensions. Without a doubt my name will not fade into obscurity for many years."

The royals didn't react much to the information, the sword made no indications of striking him. What he did on his time didn't interest them that much except for a select few.

"During my travels I came across the metaphysical elements of nature itself, there I befriended them however only Ignis, Slyph, Undine and Gnome decided to stay alongside myself. The droplets I have shown you were merely residual pieces of Seraph and Hallow."

"And you're not going to disclose where you met them?"  
"Nope. Just as you heard earlier, if I tried the two droplets that lives in my heart will kill me on the spot."  
"Does it have to be inside of you?"  
"Yes, that's what I agreed to otherwise they would revoke the powers they lent me."

Marco stood there waiting, they glanced at the sword and it had yet to zap the Dark Knight, Moon looked at him, "And your allegiance Marco?"

"None. I am allied to no kingdom, noble house, faction, group or individual. I am master only to myself. I am just here to ensure you all have a chance to right your wrongs before you get everyone in the dimension killed. And also no, I am not allied to Eclipsa Butterfly nor her daughter, I had enough of them to last a lifetime."

Moon gave him a bemused look, he shrugged before looking at Star, "And what questions do you have for me, Princess Star?"

Tom's eyes fell on his girlfriend immediately, she fidgeted in her seat, she had hoped she would speak to him in private but there was no chance now. No matter the nature of the question, she couldn't help but feel insecure at the many prying eyes on her.

"Marco…do you hate me?"

"No."

Star blinked.  
Marco stood there.

 ** _Really Marco? You're not a tiny bit angry with her? Especially dumping your ass for that baby back bitch?  
_** _"…"  
 **Fine I guess I have no choice but to bust out my Walkman, you heard me, Marco, the Walkman is out again:** _

**_I just heard you found the one, you been looking for  
I wish I would have known that wasn't me  
Cause even after all this timeI wonder  
Why I can't move on  
Just the way you did so easily~  
_** _"…"_

 ** _Not breaking eh, fine then:_**

 ** _You just want attention,  
You don't want my heart.  
Maybe you just hate the thought  
Of me with someone new (someone new)  
Yeah, you just want attention, (oh)  
I knew from the start  
You're just making sure  
I'm never getting' over you (over you) oh_**

 _"…"  
 **Whatever, I'm going to find more songs to play in the most inappropriate time.**_

Marco ignored the blasted parasite and paid attention to what was happening presently.

"But you—"  
"I know. But that time I was more disappointed than angry. You had plenty of time to speak to your parents on your own terms and time and you still refused to be honest with them and procrastinated, yet again. How could I not be disappointed?"

The royals suddenly felt as if they were in some soap opera.  
Tom glared at Marco.

"…"  
"Anymore questions?"

Star crestfallen at Marco's terse attitude, she looked at the sword for a moment, "Marco, that sword…where did you get it from? And please don't say 'Sir Buttercup', the Scribes already debunked that."  
"That's fair. I received that sword from my mentor. Just as you had your mother teaching you the ways of your kingdom, I had a mentor teaching me the way of ancient mewman warrior lifestyle."

The royals were intrigued by the story, "Ancient mewman warrior lifestyle?"

"Basically before the kingdoms were erected, namely the Butterfly Kingdom, the typical way of life of most warrior mewmans. They taught me a broad field of studies eventually I was gifted the Traitor's Sword."

Many scoffed at the notion, he had to have found it somewhere. No one in their right mind would just hand over such a magnificent and powerful weapon.

"…who are they?"  
"…"

Marco was silent from the inquiry; he looked to the ceiling for a moment, replaying an earlier conversation:

"Marco, be careful, you could heal or further the divide the kingdoms of Mewni with this meeting of yours. Take care not to make things worse for yourself." Buttercup patted him on the shoulder, he nodded, his shoulders heavy with what's to come.

"Any good advice you want to give me before I muck things up even more for you two?"

"Use your best judgment, don't let your emotions run too wild, don't show favoritism to any kingdom or ruler no matter who it is and if you have to use the Traitor's Sword to prove you are not being deceitful, that's always a huge plus."

Marco looked at him for a moment, "I could put you in danger. The both of you."

Buttercup sighed as did Oblivion, "Sooner or later, we will perish, it is inevitable. No one can endure forever, one day I'll be gone and so will Oblivion. And hopefully, not too soon, you will too Marco. Just…try not to speed up the process."

Marco chuckled, the two patted his shoulders, "We put the fate of Mewni on your capable hands, Marco. We'll stand alongside you, no matter where the pieces fall."

Marco nodded to himself, coming to a decision.

"Buttercup and Oblivion are my teachers. While you went along with Queen Moon, I went to them to train under their wing, Buttercup was the practical while Oblivion was more theory."

"But who are they?"

Marco frowned, he looked at the sword, arcs were building up, "Buttercup better known as Marrow Eater is a Lizard and Oblivion is a former knight of Mewni, both alive during the advent of the Butterfly Kingdom was being propped up."

The royals were disturbed by the words especially Moon and Star, hearing Marco trained by a Lizard, the same species as Toffee who caused so much misery and shown capable of corrupting magic.

"Marco, you were trained by a Lizard!"  
"Marco what were you thinking!"  
"I knew it! Marco can't be trusted at all!" Dave yelled.

Marco frowned at the accusation.

"Boy, I know you're smart but don't you think they could be deceiving you!?"  
"And this Oblivion character—" "He's a ghost. He is anchored to his resting place."

"Oh great, so the Dark Knight not only is made by Eclipsa but trained by a Lizard Monster and by a ghost of unknown origin, fantastic, so fucking-tastic!"

Marco glared at the royals mouthing off, "So what I was trained by Buttercup or Oblivion Pendragon, they—?"

"Wait…did you just say Pendragon?" Moon asked.  
"What?"  
"That can't be…"

He looked around, the royals looked even more disturbed and surprised by the second, "What? That's his name, Oblivion Pendragon, only child of Oblivion and Smile Pendragon."

"Marco…that's absurd…the Pendragon lineage hasn't been around for, well, since the conception of…oh. Oh." Moon's face paled, her eyes drifted to the sword, it shimmered.

The Sword of Pendragon.

"…no, it can't be."  
"What? What's wrong?"  
"Marco, did this Oblivion give you that sword?"  
"Yes, he did."

Moon slumped on her chair, everyone looked deathly pale, Marco looked at them, "What the heck is the matter with all of you?"  
"Marco…the Pendragons is the most ancient noble house…of any ancient house, they can trace their lineage further back than anyone can…to think one of them lived here."  
"What, so does that mean some of you are his relatives?"

Moon got back her bearings and shook her head, "No. Maybe not directly, because if we were we wouldn't bear our current names at all."

"So what's the Pendragons standing in Mewni?" Marco's head racing for more edge in this meeting, Moon bit her lip for a second,

"It is said that in any place they settled they were considered the highest nobility of the land, not just from name but in combat prowess. I was told by Gloss that each Pendragon branch had to re-earn their status every time they moved to a new dimension meaning they started from the bottom and worked their way up until they became the dominant nobility. Every royal family knows of them."

"Thank you for the history lesson Queen Moon, I'm sure everyone didn't hear those fairytales a thousand times as a child." Drawled Dave, but in every royals mind's raced with a frightening thought: did Marco Diaz have Pendragon blood flowing in his veins? It would explain why the sword would obey the Dark Knight.

This however never made it to Marco as he looked over to Star, "Anymore grievances you want settled?"

"…why did you Ward Earth?"

Marco's eyes unintentionally met Hekapoo's and she glared back at him, "I didn't want to be hunted down constantly back home and get my family and friends involved, I hoped that the Ward would deter you from entering and calm down from the situation. However, the opposite happened instead and you all just went after each other's throats. I originally made it in the event something catastrophic happened, never intended for Warding."

"Did your teachers help make it?"  
"Yes, they did."

Marco waited for Queen Moon and Star to ask him more questions but they looked more or less subdued with what they heard. His eyes darted to the MHS members; they hadn't spoken up since the meeting got moving.

"…the Butterfly family will hear out, Marco Diaz."

Marco bowed to them before looking at the Magic High Commission members, "Alright, let's just do the entire set, c'mon let's hear some of your grievances. I know made some with the three of you."

The royals were surprised at the words and glanced at the three of them, they steamed at Marco putting them on the spotlight on his terms.

"You got a lot of nerve doin' this boy!" Rhombulus yelled, he stomped forward and Marco casually took his sword.

"No puny gloves to protect you from me!"

"Pfft, sure, Nipples."

The snakes hissed at Marco and he rolled his eyes, "Alright, why are you so angry with me."

Marco heard a massive bellow from Rhombulus, "Because of you every effin' punk in the multi-dimension thinks we're just a bunch of push overs! We can't even do our job because of you!"

Marco looked shock at the news,  
"Oh shit…you have jobs, I thought you mess around just like Gloss all day. Well, minus H-Poo."  
"NOW YOU LISTEN HERE, ASSHOLE—H-Poo?"  
"FUCK YOU, STOP CALLING ME THAT!"  
"MARCO!" Queen Moon spoke up warningly.

Marco sighed and looked at Rhombulus and held out a hand, "Listen, I had no idea that would happen when I beat you up and left you passed out on the ground. I'm sorry."

Rhombulus ignored it and walked back.

Omnitraxius Prime drifted towards him, the giant skull glared at Marco, "You've used that sword irresponsibly, hurt my colleagues and…well I'm not sure but I know you're the culprit, have done something wrong to the flow of the universe."

Marco cocked his head, "I've used this sword to defend myself and do things beyond reckoning, but to use irresponsibly, no I haven't. This sword was entrusted to me and I will use it as I see fit. And while yes, I have turned this blade to your colleagues not once did I use it on them directly, to block crystal blasts and to be a step ahead of portals, I used it to immobilize you, I could have been lethal but I refrained because I knew I would hurt you."

"OHO! So you could hurt us, divinities, Dark Knight? Addled in the mind you are." Omni scoffed, Marco narrowed his eyes and pointed the sword at him, "Test my patience and we will all see if divinities will weep blood."

There was an unnatural silence at the words, Marco put the sword back down, letting it stand on the blade tip.

"…"

"And lastly, what could I have ever done to jeopardize the flow of the universe? I'm just one human being, you on the other hand would have more sway…unless you think otherwise." Marco said the last part softly, rolling the words in his head.

Omni hid his dismay and disgust and moved back to his post.

Hekapoo walked up to him, Marco roused him from his musing and looked at the blacksmith walking forward, he looked nervous. Star felt a twang of jealously.

"Heka—!"

Marco nearly fell over as said divinity slapped him with what felt like a cinderblock. He didn't get his bearings in time as he was pressed against the wall, a his Dimensional Scissors on his neck, fiery orange met chocolate brown.

"You are not getting away this time, boy, you are going to get what's coming to you." Hekapoo hissed.

Marco couldn't help but smile.  
That was a mistake as the scissors pressed harder.

"So…you're done threatening me…what's your grievance?"  
"You dare erect that blasted Ward so you can cower and hide behind it! And to think you didn't stay behind it all this time, running around playing mercenary!"

Marco sighed before he muscled Hekapoo off, she grunted before she moved back, aware that there were more muscle in him than last time they fought.

"Yes, I made that Ward but why do you care? It was made to withstand everything."

"Then how did you leave and is it still up?"

Marco looked at his watch on his wrist, "…yeah, it should be."

The royals mutter to themselves but he ignored them, "I can cut portals with the Traitor's Sword, it disregards the Ward because I make it so, it acts like an 'exception' to what it can block. And to avoid getting interrupted again, that sword can become anything I wish it to be: set itself on fire, shoot shockwaves and blade arcs, make lightning, frost the blade, anything really, but most importantly it kills Immortals indefinitely. If you think something is unbreakable, I can my the sword break it, nothing is beyond it. The sword is can be literally a metaphysical 'exception'."

"As for the latter, I really had no choice when my new teachers turned me down. I sorta just drifted from place to place before I mentor under a mercenary and became one under my own right. For the most part it has been very good to me, that line of business, I've made a killing more than a few times."

"Blood money, that's nothing to be proud of." Moon said quietly, Marco shrugged, "At the very least, I can't be swayed by fortune, I have more wealth than I can do with. I could theoretically retire at the tender age of 18 if I choose to move my treasures to Earth."

"Does that satisfy your questions, Hekapoo?"  
"…have you killed, boy?"  
"Yes…I have. I'm not proud of it but in that line of work I can't afford not to sometimes. I have spilled blood, sometimes for good reasons, sometimes for awful reasons, but all the same I wish I didn't have to."

Moon could hear the regret in Marco's voice, he wasn't faking it and sounded like it haunted him. She was sympathetic, she had done the same and much younger to boot, but it seemed Marco did it longer and in less morally righteous light.

Hekapoo looked at Marco for a moment, seeing the burdens of death hanging on his frame and his name definitely came up more than a few times when she was out on patrol or business. He was kidding when he said he became a mercenary, still she didn't let it show on her face and she merely walked back to her post,

"Go on, Marco, tell us your grievances…I'm sure it's going to be a riot."

Marco ignored the last comment before standing before the Traitor's Sword, he sighed before looking at all of them.

"Before this meeting I did a lot of soul searching these past two years, trying to make sense what had happened and the consequences that spawned from that. Albeit, not everything was made by my hand nor Eclipsa, but I know that hasn't stop any of you from flinging the blame elsewhere but yourselves."

The royals didn't respond to that.

"I could do the same as you: blame someone else for this problem. Mina Loveberry, Eclipsa, fuck I could point to any of you and it would make sense if I twisted it enough since you put that damned bounty on my head. But for all you have done to me be it slander, assault or otherwise…I could very well unleash my righteous fury upon you all and claim justice, but it won't change the situation, Mewni will continue to suffer. Mewman and Monster kind are suffering because of this infighting between kingdoms, you are all so blind and frighten by what lies beyond your walls that mischief and terror has spread so thickly they might as well prance in broad daylight. They will come sweeping from the horizon and swallow up your kingdoms because you allow them to flourish unimpeded. Then you'll have an actual problem on your hands that dwarfs a disgruntled Dark Knight and a sugar fiend Eclipsa, you'll have a flood of criminals, brigands, marauders and the vilest creatures sweep across your kingdoms and Mewni."

"…"  
"…"

"You may not believe me, heck, you might outright think I am trying to frighten you, but you all know that something is afoot in Mewni and it isn't me or Eclipsa causing it. Right now you're getting the preliminary taste: disappearances, raids and bands of hoodlums. Wait until it is a war band hungry for pillage, slaughter, rape and razing, so large you are powerless to stop them. You are not united, you fight only for yourselves and interests and you are prime targets for them because they be pockets but mark my words when they unite you will fold."

No one made any rebuttal to Marco's claim, they knew it was true some already suffering it's effects and their assaults. Still, Marco's bleak picture was making their gears turn, they would double their fortifications, they would still ignore him, to an extent.

"My grievances are really proposals. First, I want all of you to stop barring each other, fuck even before I came around you were already doing this, the Butterfly Kingdom was attacked and none of you came to their aid, and I don't want to hear your reasons, I'm just pointing it out because I took part in that battle!" Marco snapped, some royals deflated, "I want you to talk to each other more, communicate, how will you know if trouble is coming? You're going to spy on one another? Wait to see the smoke rising from the ruins of a kingdom? Foolish. I want the kingdoms of Mewni to re-establish communications and trade, you barricade yourselves for reasons that never came true, it's time you open your eyes and see what is really going on. Also, I doubt you like to eat the same staples over and over again, I'd be fed up with Mewni Corn in a week, goddamn give me a steak."

Moon nodded at the words, she had been trying to do that for years, Marco managed to get some of the royals to seriously consider it, at least their faces revealed that much.

"Next, your fears of retaliation of Eclipsa and myself. As you already know, I stayed away from Mewni until recently spending majority of my time elsewhere. Eclipsa has made no moves against any kingdoms; in fact she has done very little in the grand scheme of things."

"So that stands to reason you know where she is hiding?" asked Moon, the royals perked up at the news, Marco sighed, "Yes, I do, but Eclipsa is not part of the problem at the moment: it's your fear of her and of me. Yes, I know you're afraid of a Dark Knight; our 'devious' history is tantamount to that, but most of the problems you're experiencing is your own fears working against you."

"Can you blame us? Eclipsa was hunted by every kingdom and then there's you and your sword."  
"Yeah, but I haven't done anything to you. Eclipsa, has been under my watchful eye."

"Says you." Tom growled, Marco rounded to him, "Yes, says me, I at least knows where she is and kept her contained."

"Okay, enough. Marco, you don't want to harm Mewni or wrought your wrath upon it, I will believe you in that regard but you can't expect us to not believe Eclipsa won't retaliate from all the mistreatment nor her daughter. How can we know that the two of them and those under their banner won't try to make matters worse?" Moon asked.

Marco took his sword and slashed open a portal and stuck a hand through it, "Then let's have her answer that herself."

The royals stood up in surprise and defiance,  
"What?!"  
"NO!"  
"ARE YOU MAD!"  
"I knew it! This was a trap!"  
"MARCO!"  
*cooing*

Marco ignored them and pulled out Eclipsa in her usual get up, Star and Moon tensed at the sight of her. She smiled sinisterly at all of them before the Traitor's Sword was placed on her neck, "No sudden moves, I'm binding you to the sword."

"Fine, Marco, if that's what you want."

The portal closed and Eclipsa had her hand on the sword, she smiled at all of them, "Hello ancient houses of Mewni, delightful to see you all again."

"ECLIPSA!"  
"YOU!"

Marco stood between them and the queen,  
"What are you doing?"  
"Kill her!"  
"Move boy!"

"What a warm welcome."  
"Shut it, Eclipsa."  
"She's going to mind read you!"  
"Or mind jack it!"

"So long as her hand is on that sword, she can not use her power nor use telepathy. SETTLE DOWN!"

The royals seethed at the order, refusing to listen but when Marco grabbed the sword and nearly yanked it from Eclipsa they sat down, fearing the Queen would immediately retaliate without the sword stopping her. Marco glared at all of them, Eclipsa smiled widely at them, "Ah, quick to their fears, but at least you're not afraid of me, Marco."

"Try anything funny and I'll gut you like a fish."  
"Funny? No, I'll do something serious." Eclipsa snickered.

The royals looked at Eclipsa as did the MHS, Marco frowned seeing them so tensed, "And lastly, I want the kingdoms to allow Eclipsa to govern her new kingdom."

The royals shot to the roof at the words, hollering and roaring at Marco and Eclipsa.

"Never!"  
"This is an affront!"  
"Madness!"  
"Working for her!"  
"Insanity, Marco!"  
"To let her would to spit on the face of her—"  
"ENOUGH!"

Marco looked at them, "Eclipsa is still a Queen, her throne, kingdom and birthright pulled from underneath her. If she can't have the Butterfly Kingdom, then let her have her own, she's far from all of you and out of prying eyes and if you treaty with her she can't just come up and harm any of you."

"And a piece of parchment would stop that madwoman?!" River yelled, Eclipsa smirked at him.

"Yes it would, especially if Marco intends to enforce it himself, I will behave."

The royals were stunned at the words, Eclipsa had always been a proud woman even if she didn't show it.

"Marco has already proven he can defeat me, Meteora and my ilk. Our last bout cost me dearly."

"Then why didn't you just kill her, Marco?" Moon snapped at him, their own last fight was fresh on her mind.

Marco frowned, "Because I'm not going to just kill at a whim. Another reason why you all are afraid of her is because you can't remember, Eclipsa has used potent Dark Magic and Arts to obscure her history. Whatever it is, I intend to uncover it and from there I will judge if her crimes equals the maximum capacity of the punishment and if it does I will happily lop her head off from her shoulders."

The royals fumed at Marco's decision and they sat there, their mind reeling and not totally trusting Marco and his ability to contain Eclipsa.

However, the sword had yet to shock him and Eclipsa had both hands firmly on the sword hilt.

"I find it hard to believe you defeat Eclipsa."  
"Yes, she's not ordinary Mewman and Butterfly at that."

Eclipsa gestured to Marco and he tugged her collar down, around her neck was a golden line of runes, "This is a bind Marco put on me too for another safety precaution, if I violate the treaty he proposed this bind will incapacitate me. However, if you attack me, I can use it to summon Marco and he will come to my aid."

"…"  
"…you've made yourself a force on Mewni, Marco."

He was silent at the words.

"Pray tell…how did you subdue the great Eclipsa Queen of Darkness?"

Marco felt all eyes on him and he retold them what had transpired between him, Eclipsa and Meteora.

 **XxXxXxXxX**

* * *

Oh, gosh, I didn't make it before the Season 3 premiere, damnit! Gah, frustrating.  
Well, this is just first half of the **Peace Talker Incident** and things are on very shaky ground, honestly there was just gonna be a whole lot of screaming and whatnot, but I tried to keep it civil. Might come back and fix a thing or two in this chapter, but we'll see where this leads to won't we?

Marco isn't a Pendragon.  
Just want to drive that home. Yeah, I know Pendragon does exist on Earth, but Marco isn't even distantly related to them. He doesn't have a drop of the lineage in his blood, but the royals surely think he is part of family line especially since he wields their signature weapon.

Songs in order of appearance:  
We Don't Talk Anymore - Charlie Puth (Ft. Selena Gomez)  
Attention - Charlie Puth

Yeah, Monster Arm is still twisting that knife into Marco, he feeds on his negativity, the more Marco has it the more resilient and longer would it take for Marco to get rid of it. Also, the songs helps me reveal facets of Marco's complex relationship to Star over the years. There's parts of him that holds him in fault 100%, the one that wants to move on, the one that believes Star did him the dirty, the one that's just hurt, the one that wants Star back and so on. I want to explore this side of Marco because he's always portrayed in the series as a capable character but with the finesse of a doormat, literally killing a good character with this lame-o shit.

It's going to take a lot for Marco to forgive Star entirely.  
Let me hear what you think of this chapter, avid readers. Especially you, kouhai.

The story continues in the next chapter: **A Weapon to Surpass Meteora Butterfly**

 _tu ne me reconnaiss pas?_  
I AM NRG

 **END OF TRANSMISSION**


	11. Chapter 11

.

 **Disclaimer** : having another of those stress episodes.

 **[Flashback] Chapter 10 [Flashback]**

A weapon to surpass Meteora Butterfly

 **XxXxXxXxX**

Marco fitted himself with gear, behind him his Warband loudly told him to not go headlong into battle, not to go at it alone. He refused to tell them where he was going, he refused to put them in danger over something of a personal nature and duty.

He had his jeans custom made along with his battle hoodie, tougher but breathable and the rest of his gear he made himself with various materials he collected. Putting them on, a mix of metal, leather, plate armor, bone and such he was an intimidating sight to behold. He then begun to fit himself with armaments: two pistols, two magnums, 10 throwing knives, 10 shurikens, his bow with 24 arrows, his long knife, a pouch of smoke bombs and ammunition, 4 handmade frag grenades and flash bangs , a spool of razor wire, a length of rope, his concussive gauntlets, 3 steel stakes at his disposal.

The Traitor's Sword would be free of it's sheath the entire time.

"StudMuffin this is suicide! You're fighting Eclipsa! And her daughter! Alone!" Rhunter seethed.

"Yeah! Listen to some sense. Psst, who the fuck is Eclipsa?"  
"Is she hot at least?"  
"Fuck if I know."

Marco shook his head, "I can't risk getting you guys involved besides this is a personal affair, politics and that bullshit. You know, the things you don't like."

Rhunter shook his head at his partner, the Sinful Sips would have never been born if not for him and watching him load up and get a duffel bag to stuff more weapons was too much to bear. He grabbed Marco's arm, this mercenary was barely a man and here he was doing most would never do in a lifetime even if given the chance.

"StudMuffin, what if you fall? What will we do? The men hardly sees me fit as a leader, they only listen to me because you tell them to, what happens if you are not here anymore? What will they do? They'll splinter off and cause who knows what trouble, I'm not saying you're their jailor or warden but they look to you for direction and strength. Heck some of them might just drop dead."

Marco sighed as he dropped more weapons and tools into the duffel bag, he looked at Rhunter and the rest that watched him, "I will be coming back. And in the unlikely event I don't: there will be no ransacking of this bar. If you wish to stay here, as your home and job, you will listen to Rhunter, he does own the place. Half of it anyways. In the event of my death you can stay here and be useful…or leave. Your choice."

Marco pushed them aside and made himself a portal quickly, he could feel the weight all over him, his men just watched helplessly as he disappear again.

Rhunter exhaled heavily and kicked the drywall leaving a hole, _damnit Studmuffin..._

.

 **[MEWNI]**

Marco landed just a few miles away from Eclipsa's castle along a rocky hill, it wasn't much or grand like the Butterfly castle but it was built with black bricks and hidden if you didn't look hard enough for it. He knew the queen didn't want to loom over her subjects, like her descendants did, rather be a shade for them, to seek help and assurance against the weather.

Marco took out a spy scope and looked at the budding kingdom she was building: the humble Knightfall Kingdom. A place for both Mewmans and Monsters to coexist happily, prejudice and racism was present at a minimum, Eclipsa knew it would take some time before that would be settled. Mewni History nearly spent it's entire time waging war on each other, there was a lot of things to be answered for and healed.

He felt it was a step in the right direction.  
He had tried infiltrating it once and it was enough for him.

Marco could see the construction ways off, the future bricks to be laid for the walls and housing. No doubt once the place gained momentum, the entirety of Mewni would descend upon them. He looked through the place before he frowned, there was a big forced coming back and from the looks of it, they were bloody. Marco felt his insides churn: Eclipsa and Meteora were coming back from something.

 _GNOME!  
_ _ _STONE COFFIN!__

He stood up and dropped the duffel bag in the raised coffin before it sunk back into the earth and he made his way for the group before they got back to the kingdom. He felt the load on his body dampen his speed.

 _Gosh, Marco, why are you even wearing this much weapons?  
_ _I thought you're gonna talk, you look like you're going to fight her._

 _"Sorry, but I can never be too sure. Eclipsa isn't just some hedge magician, she has raw magical power and dark magic expertise. I just lucked out she can't use her telepathy on me, I would just avoid her outright if that was the case."_

Marco continue to trudge but Slyph got fed up and wind danced around his feet, _well get on slowpoke, by the time we get there it's gonna be nightfall. Then you'll be in for a fight._

 _"So it's not evening right now?"_

Marco's eyes drifted upwards, the sky was tinged an mixture of purple, black and blue it was easy to be mistaken, _"Probably just the time of the year…"_

His heighten speed caught the groups attention especially since Marco seemingly raced to them, inches above the ground on a whirlwind. The group composed of all monsters, burly and aggressive looking, Marco paid them no mind as he skidded before them, they growled at him. Marco glanced at the kingdom, they were far enough to avoid being seen from the populace, for now anyways.

Marco waited for the monsters to part allowing Eclipsa and Meteora through, they wore their usual clothes, Meteora's a little tattered and bloody.

"Ah, Dark Knight Marco Diaz, good to see you again." chirped Eclipsa, her eyes on the sword of his. Meteora glared at him, "Princess Marco…"

"…I see you've been busy, a new kingdom built just a year in, that's incredible speed."

"Yes, I suppose Marco. But let's get these formalities aside: what do you want."

Marco felt his skin crawl at the slight edge of her voice, he gave her a sweeping look at her forces before looking at her again, "Who did you kill."

"Does that even concern you, Marco? And does it even matter?" came the reply, Marco narrowed his eyes, the sword pointed at her, the entire monster posse nearly jumped on him but Eclipsa held them back with a hand aloft.

Eclipsa smiled at the sudden threat of attack by the Dark Knight, her eyes running over all the weapons on his bodice, "If you must know Marco, myself, Metoera and these wonderful gents were accompanying me when I fell prey to a bunch of Mewmans using Snookers bars as an obvious trap to follow them to their white wagon. I foolishly got inside the wagon to find that there were no Snookers bars! Thankfully, my Meteora and her friends freed me and we sent those Mewmans home."

Marco glared at her story she merely smiled innocently, "It's the truth, boy."

"Dead. You killed them."

Meteora spat, fed up, "They were Mewmans looking for more lands to colonize, to conquer, this land is spoken for and we enforce our claim and law. Do you have a problem with that, princess!?"

"No. What you do is your business, however I came because now more Mewmans will investigate, you won't kill them all and eventually they'll find your kingdom and—"

"They won't know about it if you don't tell them, Marco." Eclipsa said simply, a dark magic bolt appeared in her hand but Marco dismissed it.

"Keep your magic to yourself Eclipsa. I'm not here to report you." Eclipsa looked astonished at the answer, she gave him another up-down glance, "Then why are you here for?"

Marco looked at her, "If you intend to march your forces, your army across Mewni: I will stop you. This is your only warning. If you don't, you'll regret it. Don't let lives be lost." He nodded to more than herself and Meteora, the monsters that gathered behind her.

The two parties looked at each other before one side exploded with laughter, giggles, coughing and hacking up spit. Marco frowned as even Eclipsa couldn't help herself, snorting with laughter.

"Mhmmm, Marco, you really are comical." Eclipsa smiled, the rest settling down too, **"You couldn't stop us if you wanted to."**

Marco looked at her deathly serious, "I've only came to give you this warning. That's all. If I hear you are on the War Path…you won't be for long."

Eclipsa nodded her head, doing an elegant bow, "Well, thank you for your heart felt warning, Dark Knight…but if you wish to live to be a ripe old age, you'll keep your paltry threats to yourself. Here: my word is law, Meteora's word is law. I can slay where you stand and all you can do…is fall dead and feed the worms."

The monsters snickered behind Eclipsa, even Meteora put her nose into the air at the words of her mother, Marco shook his head at the Queen.

"Pray that you can." Marco bowed as well and turned to leave.

Eclipsa stopped in her stride, her face angry, "Arrogance…I guess it's not just a Mewman trait!"

Without warning she threw a dark magic bolt at him, Marco spun and smashed it to pieces, his hand on a pistol, the monsters and Meteora froze and rallied behind Eclipsa.

The queen started forward, blindsiding the monsters and her daughter, they quickly followed, "And if I and my daughter agree not to march through Mewni, burning everything to the ground, after they denied my daughter her birthright and my throne and kingdom handed over to another, what do we get for this 'mercy' Dark Knight!"

Eclipsa stood in front of Marco, "I will make it so that you will all live and coexist. If they attack you, unprovoked I will dispense my blade on them and the same goes for you. At the very least no one will die needlessly, this 'shaky peace' is better than no peace at all."

The queen frowned at the words, "That's not good enough Marco, they will never agree to it. And you are an outsider, who are you to police and govern them? Worse, you are a Dark Knight, my hand in doing so. No matter what you will do…they won't accept it, you don't even have a standing army to exercise your wrath nor will upon them if they do not heed your words and warnings. Just stay out of this, Dark Knight, you will not find happiness here nor the satisfaction of any of your words becoming reality. Leave this land, Marco, do not speak of it to anyone else. THIS. Is your only warning from me."

Eclipsa jabbed a finger at his chest, his cheek marks glowing and she gave an appreciative nod, "Still working on it. Good for you, boy. You may leave."

Marco narrowed his eyes.

"Will you march across Mewni eventually Eclipsa. Answer me that truthfully and I will consider your threat."

"…maybe someday. I'm in no hurry, really, I'll pick them off whoever is still standing." she waved a hand carelessly, "Not that you'll be there to stop me."

Marco brought the blade just in time to block a dark magic fork bolt from electrifying him from Eclipsa's fingertips, however it sent him flying back. She frowned and dark magic began to swirl around her, the posse getting into a frenzy to defend their queen and princess.

"Despite being a Dark Knight, you are just a gnat, no different from anyone who would oppose us. But with that sword of yours…I would rather it served under my banner. Either you do or your successor does."

Marco readied himself, "I must decline. I'm will remain impartial."

"Enough with your bullshit, Marco, we both know you'll never be that. And besides…now that you've shown me your fangs…I now know I can not let the boy become a man."

Marco took up Buttercup's stance: Prairie Style: Wildflower Crossing, "Then you already failed, I did already."

Eclipsa sent a handful of dark bolts at Marco, he deflected them in a flashy display, twirling his sword and amazing footwork to dodge them. The monster stayed back as Eclipsa continued her volley as a front so she could mentally subdue the Dark Knight, but she couldn't like before in the Trial she gave a gesture and moved back.

 _Damnit…this boy's mind used to be open…now it isn't. I thought it was a fluke but now I'm certain this 'Sir Buttercup' had a hand in it…_

The monsters howled and roared at the chance to bloody the soil again and rushed forward, some faster than others, a few hanged back with the rulers. Marco narrowed his eyes and pulled one of his pistols: Beretta M9. The monster grunted suddenly feeling something burrowing into them then the noise of gun fire.

Left hand on pistol and the right with his sword, Marco spun and fired in rapid succession, keeping the frenzied monster at bay when a shot struck them. But that didn't last long when their numbers converged on him more thickly, he leapt back then flipped over a bull monster who tried to gorge him with his horns, Marco in mid flip put three into his skull and he fell over into the ground. Marco felt the wind grip him and he found himself thrown back to give himself some distance.

Seeing their own fall to the contraption and Marco seemingly retreating made the rest even more livid and delve deeper into the frenzy. Marco sheathe the M9 and pulled out the other pistol: FN Five-Seven. He threw the sword into the ground and took aim, they came charging and Marco shot to incapacitate than kill.

One tumbled, shot in the knee.  
Next shrugged off two bullet to the shoulder.  
Another in the gut, it roared in defiance.

 _ **Shoot to kill, Marco, they are going to trample you!**_

The familiar smell of gunpowder...and the nagging of the Monster Arm, a staple this past two years.  
Marco snarled at the words of Monster Arm and took better aim:

A bullet burrow into a skull. Dead.  
Blown eye socket. Dead.  
Two bullet to the lungs. Dead.  
Bullet to the heart, tumbling into the ground.  
Shot at the knee.  
Blown fingers off.  
Bullet bouncing off horn.

Marco continued to fire, the monsters began to slow and cover themselves as the frenzy wore off and suddenly aware that they were injured and dying rapidly. Marco saw them slowing and took aim and fired at Eclipsa, the bullet smashed into a purplish barrier, Marco frowned at the sight as Eclipsa blinked in surprise as she inspected the bullet.

"Crude thing…but effective. We better wait for some more friends, Meteora." She threw a flare into the air, Marco put the gun away and made himself a handful of flames,

 _Ignis!_ _  
 _You got it!__

Eclipsa winced as the flare didn't reach a high enough altitude to be seen before a fireball took it out, she threw a glance at Marco, flames dancing around him, "The boy can use magic?!"

Marco didn't wait and began to send a blistering volley at the queen and princess, a bigger purplish barrier was made to block them.

 _MARCO!_

He rolled as the monsters decided to lob rock slabs at him, he cough as dust shot everywhere, "Hey, you can seriously hurt someone!"

He was answered with a roar.

 _Gnome!_ _  
 _Eat it, dirtbags!__

Marco made sweeping motion with his hands and suddenly the rocks and boulders flung themselves at the monsters, trampling them. He threw a glance again at Eclipsa and she shot more flares forcing Marco to fight on two fronts, keeping the monsters at bay and blasting the flares for reinforcements.

Eclipsa snarled as her flares were still being destroyed and she was too far from contacting her kingdom, she grabbed one of her monster posse, pointing at the kingdom, "Get to the kingdom and tell them I need reinforcement, then close off the kingdom. Understand—good, now go!"

The monster now runner resisted leaving the queen but after Meteora growled it ran for the kingdom. It didn't go unnoticed as Marco saw the monster fleeing, he quickly reloaded his pistol and began to fire only to have Eclipsa stop it with her barriers. Marco frowned and sent searing fireballs after the monster, it screamed but saved again by Eclipsa countering it with dark bolts of her own.

"You should have fled when you had the chance, Marco! Now you face the full might of my kingdom!"

Marco scoffed and looked at the beaten monsters, some of them dead after being smashed with rocks, the others were unconscious, the lucky ones. He casually walked towards Eclipsa, firing round after round as he got closer his sword glistening in the other hand. Marco knew it was a waste of bullets but Eclipsa didn't know that since she couldn't read his mind.

The queen winced every time the lead bullet smashed into the barrier, the sound of the gun fire and the sharp impact made her wonder if her barrier would shatter eventually. Meteora was turning feral at the sight of Marco casually walking about the land she governed.

"Ready to stop this farce, Eclipsa?" Marco called out, Eclipsa frowned before looking back and seeing a growing shadow racing to her, the Dark Knight noticed too, "Tell them to go back, don't put anymore lives in jeopardy."

"Hmph, you've killed plenty already, Marco. You'll make a splendid Dark Knight for Mewni."

"Then maybe you shouldn't have sent to attack me. Most things end up dead that way."

Eclipsa smirked, "Then have your fill of carnage boy!"

Marco snarled and sheathe the gun before blocking Eclipsa's dark bolts, taking a step back with each deflection before Meteora came running at him, her hands turning into her monster claws. Marco readied to defend himself before he brought his guard up just in time to block a dark magic blast forcing him a great deal back. He rolled away as Meteora closed the distance and tried to rake his face with her set of claws.

Cussing, Marco rolled to his feet and send screaming blade arcs at Meteora whilst blocking more dark bolts from Eclipsa, he was pinned between the two rulers. He could hear Eclipsa's girly cackle and that just made him even angrier, Meteora lunged forward, a tip of her claw snagging on his gear harness and he was sent flying from her swing.

"DIE PRINCESS!"

Marco saw the world tumble, sky, ground, sky, painful ground.

 _Slyph!_ _  
 _Gosh, Marco, you got caught!__

Marco felt the wind catch him and he landed safely before he pulled out his pistol and fired at Meteora who got on fours and fled back to her mother's protective barrier. Marco narrowed his eyes before seeing the monster reinforcement had arrived and in great number, the Dark Knight reloaded his pistols putting the sword down into the ground.

"I WANT HIM TAKEN ALIVE. OR DEAD. WHICHEVER YOU CAN MANAGE!" Eclipsa cried as she fired a dark bolt, he sidestep it before he began to fire, both pistols in each hand. The monster foamed at the mouth at Marco, waiting for him to reload before tearing through the land to rend him to pieces.

Marco counted them, the moment he stopped and reloaded the guns they came in a wave made entirely out of muscle, rage and screaming. He put the new magazines before he sheathe them and slam two palms into the ground,

 _Undine + Gnome_ _  
 _REVENGE OF THE MUDMEN!__

 _WooHoo!_ _  
 _Dibs on that one!_  
 _I'm a crackshot!_  
 _Nothing but headshots!__

Marco felt the ground rumble before 4 clones of himself rose up from the ground, they stood there before held out an empty hand to him. He smiled and stuffed the Beretta M9 on one, the FN Five-Seven into another, taking out his two magnums: .500 S&W and a Desert Eagle and gave it to the other two.

He pulled out his bow and notch an arrow and looked at the mud men, nodding before they all took aim.

The monsters were bipedal or quadpedal but that matter not to Marco and the Mudmen, who normally followed simple commands however it was a different story when the Elementals decided to pilot them. They quickly aimed and fired, the barrage of bullets found their targets, blowing chucks of flesh, bone and appendages leaving monsters howling in agony. The ones that took the magnums had to quickly reformat and reinforce their body to withstand the powerful recoil and grabbing clips and rounds from Marco's pouch.

Arrow. Bullet.  
Dead monster.

Bullets.  
Monster toppling over itself.

Fireball. Bullet.  
Carcass burning in the wayside.

Gunfire rung around Marco, it was oddly comforting. He shook off the momentary memory while he snapped arrow after arrow, they tried to flank them but they were met with hail of gunfire. The five man cell did well, keeping the monsters at bay while whittling down their numbers.

It was a short victory.  
One mudmen bubbled and Marco felt the elemental consciousness flee before it exploded, he threw an angry glance at Eclipsa even though he couldn't see her, he could tell she was extremely smug.

He grabbed the fallen FN Five-Seven and fired whatever was left, behind him the two mudmen began to bubble too, he saw Eclipsa holding a hand aloft and it glowed as she chant. Marco furiously fired before the gun twisted and pulled from his hands, he pulled his bow and fired it only to see it smash into the barrier again.

Marco took aim again and fired at a 45, 60 and 85-degree angles and the arrows struck the ground and monster behind the barrier. Marco fired two more until even his bow was snapped in two by Eclipsa's magic.

The mudmen gimped by the magic threw themselves at the monster only to be easily slapped away by massive paws and fists, they laughed gutturally at Marco. He looked at the fallen mudmen, the guns ruthlessly smashed by stomps and trunks for feet, the elementals fled back to him.

He picked up the sword and rest it on his shoulder, he used the polished metal to spy that Eclipsa was merely watching him, trying to divine his powers because her mental invasion didn't work.

"I know I killed some of your comrades, but last warning: flee—!"

Marco dodged massive paws size of bucklers before giving the monster a face full of fire, plunging the sword through it's chest, hot blood spurting all over his front. Marco spit the blood that caught in his mouth before turning to the monster that stampeded for him,

"Garden Style: Weeping Baby Blue Eyes."

Marco brought the sword to his forehead, holding it vertical for a moment before getting into the fray, alternating between pivoting with the ball of the foot and heel, Marco spun to evade hits and return some.

Marco kept his stomach contents down as he quickly made shallow but hard jabbing motions, Marco sliding the Traitor's Sword no more than 5 inches into the monsters. Eyes bled, other clutch their sudden bleeding throat, some limped and others fell to the ground blood filling their lungs.

Marco flicked the blood off before robbing a monster of its sight then piercing into its fat liver to the hilt, he grimaced as dark blood spurted out.

 _This technique is to take advantage of large and armored opponents, aim for the eye slits, armor gaps, joints, soft neck tissue, wrists, ankles and whatever to lame your adversary. But you have to be precise, your blade should slide between bones, you won't get many chances afterwards when your foe knows your mindset._

Marco managed to clip a handful of the monsters, but soon they just came in droves, condense grouping made it useless. Marco snarled, hoping to put more down but instead fell into another stance, holding the sword to his right side and standing resolute,

"Forest Style: Harrowing Hemlock."

Marco moved forward, the monsters all closely knit but that changed when he sent a screaming shockwave at them, momentarily stalling the front but making the rest crash into them. Pulling free from the mess of limbs, Marco homed in on freed monsters, but they had plenty of fight in them.

Marco got himself out of the way of claws, horns and maws, and quickly dispatch them: cutting and thrusting straight through bone, flesh and sinew.

A chop severed an arm, the monster roared in anger and pain before Marco's sword cut its head off. _Faster…_

Thrust through the eye socket. He pulled the sword free and out came blood, bone fragments and brain matter. _Faster…_

A horn parried his hit, he reorient himself and drove the tip of the blade scoring down the collarbone, blood splashed across the blade. Marco spun to the side to avoid being gorged and drove the blade through the sternum, blood flooded the cavity. _Damnit, faster…_

He found his next target and hack into a meaty shoulder, the monster ready to claw him but he drove the heel of his boot, smashing into its face before he pulled free and brought it down nearly bisecting the monster.

The monsters pulled themselves apart and came barreling at the Dark Knight, his eyes darken at the sight of them and he hack and slashed away, always dodging, always having open ground never being boxed in. The Dark Knight was given no quarter and he did so in return, severing arms, legs, tails, horns, fingers and toes.

Marco's foot trudged through the blood-soaked soil, the monster fewer and fewer the more he swung his sword.

They looked at him, terrified.

That changed when the brutes came tearing in, Eclipsa sent the remaining monster she had left, imbued them with her dark magic.

They stood twice the size of the monsters, thick arms, thick patches of skin that resembled cracked mud and their portions were massive from head to toe. Marco leapt back when one of them smashed their fist into the ground, tremors shook his feet forcing him to run.

The brutes gave chase, he could hear Eclipsa and Meteora laughing over his predicament but he ignored them. He spun and threw an screaming arc, they buff through it and charged, hatred brimming in their eyes.

Again Marco threw shockwave arc and they muscled through it, grinning savagely before one of them got decked in the face full of fire. Marco skidded and ran back to them, leaping on the forearm, he brought the Traitor's Sword down, splitting the brute's face.

He jumped off from the shoulder threw his rope around it's neck and swung himself to the next one, he slashed an arc out only to have the brute bring its arms up to buffer it. Marco grinned, one hand still on the rope, he wrapped the other one and brought the two down, stabbing its muscled torso as its arms were held up against its face.

The Dark Knight crashed to the ground, one brute leapt at him and Marco threw the sword, embedding itself into its chest it gave a wet cough and fell to its side. Marco pulled out his throwing knives and chuck them into the brutes before following up with his shurikens, they didn't do much only piercing the skin so much.

Marco looked at them before his palm began to race with electricity, he held his breath and squinted as he threw a smoke bombs to obscure himself. The brutes swung into the cloud before the sound of something revving and crackling reached their ears,

 _RAIJU!_  
 _LIGHTNING CELEBRATION!_

The monsters shrieked and howled in pain when suddenly massive blue forks of lightning shot out of the smoke and homed in on the brutes. They shuffled and threw themselves away in agony but the arcs would not leave them, they began to roast and eventually smolder, flesh darkening from the repeated electrical burns.

Marco looked around making sure the brutes were down for the count.

 _Marco!_

Something struck him and he flew out of the smoke cloud, rolling on the coarse ground and feeling something broken. Marco looked up to see a monster torn between triumph and pissing-scared, it took a tentative step to him before rushing forward, a rock in hand.

 _"Oh, so it hit me with that…Gnome why didn't you like smash his face in with it?"_ _  
 _…Marco, I'm not attuned to every rock, you have to channel me before I have power over it. Besides, why didn't Raiju protect you?_  
 _Oh no, sister you don't get to pass the buck!__

Marco shook his head before he pushed himself up, he wheezed feeling his armor cave in the side and his arm aflame.

Marco held out a hand just as the monster was before him, rock coming down to smash his head like a coconut.  
The world flashed white.

Marco landed where the fallen brute was and pulled the sword free, he coughed before pulling the sword on his good arm and threw a vicious shockwave arc. The monster threw the rock but it was easily pulverize and the arc rend the monster apart.

The Dark Knight coughed before putting his hand on the soil and muttered, "…I know there's a water table somewhere here…otherwise Eclipsa wouldn't build a kingdom in a barren land…"

 _[So there is a brain in that head of yours…]_ _  
 _"Undine…I need healing…"_  
 _…fine, Sister Seraph I need some of your blessing.__

Marco sighed as the water raced from the deep crevices of the ground and snaked up his body, soaking his clothes but fixing him. He tapped his dented armor before asking for it to be fixed too.

 _Automata_ _  
 _As you wish.__

 _[…] Marco we're done healing you._

Marco grunted when the armor popped and snapped back into place. He took his sword and swung it with his bad arm, feeling it to be good as new.

The few monsters that survived the electric show stared in amazement as the Dark Knight who was bludgeon suddenly was back to fighting form. The moment his eyes turned to them, they did the only reasonable option: flee. Marco narrowed his eyes before sending savage arcs at them, cutting them down by their legs, torso or head, he needed to keep his presences in Mewni to just the two royals.

Marco flinched when a dark bolt killed a monster, he looked at Eclipsa who wagged a finger at his direction.

Marco glanced at the piles of dead bodies, seeing it was only the three of them he walked towards the two exiled Butterflys.

"Ready to talk, Eclipsa."  
"I dunno Marco, seeing you butcher those monster makes me want to reconsider that."  
"Savage beast…"

Marco frowned at the insult, "That's what you get when you send in fodder. You sent them to die. Fuck, you killed one of them."

"Language, boy." Eclipsa tutted, "I don't shelter cowards Marco, if you live in my kingdom, you will fight for your life. Or I will take that life. "

"Sounds like it needs some work."

Marco wasn't surprised when Meteora leapt at him again, he sidestep before throwing some wire on her before taking a stake and driving it down with his foot making Meteora flip and smack into the ground. The queen sighed, "Must you hurt my daughter like that?"

"Put her on a leash next time." "My, what a curious kink you have." "Don't even—!"

Marco back step as Meteora ripped through the wire, her monstrous appearance showing again, Marco pointed the sword at her and Eclipsa glared at him, "You turn that sword on my daughter Marco, I'm going to filet you then go to your dimension and tear it inside ou—!"

Marco socked Eclipsa in mid-rant before leaping after Meteora, the Queen felt her head ring as two blurry figures attacked each other.

Marco flung arc after arc at Meteora but her monster skin began to spread unnaturally over the mewman one on her arms, she became more and more resilient to the hits. The Dark Knight frowned, keeping the power output low, he could very well kill Meteora and dealing with an enraged Eclipsa would definitely ruin his day.

Meteora on the other hand had no problems with clawing and smacking Marco whenever she could. He held his ground well enough, but it was just a matter of time before his puny human body crumple under her onslaught.

That changed when Marco managed to punch her into the ground, the monster mewman hybrid had to collect her thoughts for a moment but that was cut short when Marco jumped on her back and began to punch her head deeper into the ground.

"Prin—! Aggck! Cess—! Rghh! Mar—! Co—Aghhk!"

Marco paid her howling no mind, feeling his fingers numb with each successive hit. Just before he pulled another one, something coiled around his neck and flung him to the distances.

"Agh! Fuck—ack!"

Marco grunted as he punched into a side of a hill, clumps of dirt and rocks buried him before he clawed his way out, shaking them off. He blew his nose and spit out dirt before tearing off his worthless armor plating, shaking his head at the loss leaving him in minimum armor, "Thanks Automata…I didn't know you could give me your Iron Skin like this."

 _I'm just as surprised as you are, I didn't know I could!_ _  
 _"…you're not joking are you?"__

Marco brushed himself a bit more before the wind danced around him and he let himself be wisked away by it. The Iron Skin was helpful for increasing his durability a hundred fold against the monster strength of Meteora and physical abuse, with so much armor on him, neither of the Butterflys could tell his tan skin took a rather bronze sheen. However, it wasn't foolproof, Automata could get exhausted and enough punishment and he could die from the physical trauma.

 _ **[At the very least Marco you can safely put down Meteora without the Pendragon Blade, so put her down, don't waste the opportunity.]**_

 _"I will, Hallow."_

Meteora pulled herself from the ground and shook the loose rocks, she could feel the welts on the back of her head, "Damn princess…almost punched my head in…Mother! Are you okay?"

"…yes, but Marco won't be." Eclipsa sat, nursing a bruised nose.

"Don't worry I threw him into that hill, I'll collect his body." "That won't be necessary." Eclipsa sighed before she stood up and began to fire dark bolts into the sky. Meteora's eyes widen to see Marco holding the Traitor's Sword to block the majority of the bolts, before throwing it directly at them.

Eclipsa frowned when it landed between her and Meteora, "Tossing your weapon Marco?"

He winked out of the dark sky.

Eclipsa pointed a palm at the sword as Marco appeared there, holding the hilt, a hand raised at her too. Meteora flinched but it was too late, Marco send a twister from his palm sending her mother flying before doing the same to her.

"Stay down Eclipsa! Way down!"

Marco put his palms together before massive earthen snakes wrapped around the dazed Eclipsa, she fired her bolts and pulled herself free but even more came coiling before they dragged her under. Meteora stood up, her face drained white at the sight of her mother being dragged into the barren soil,

"No…no…"  
"Stay there until I'—!"

Marco felt his jaw break.  
Meteora smashed him across the ground, skidding face first before plopping down, ass in the air.

"Give her back…" "..."

"GIVE HER BACK…" "...?"

"GIVE BACK MY MOTHER, PRINCESS MARCO!" "…!"

His face tingling painfully, Marco pushed himself up, rubbing his chin, water already racing up from his feet and coating him as Meteora stomped closer and closer, her visage positively oozing her killer intent. He winced feeling the not so gentle healing of Undine and Seraph, pushing his broken tissue and bones back into place before experimentally moved his lower jaw before facing the hybrid.

"She'll be fine where she is, so long as you don't do anything foolish." Marco chided the monster mewman, the reply was a solid punch to the face. Immediately, Meteora pulled her hand back, feeling it aching as her blood mired Marco's face, he glared at her as he was barely fazed by it this time.

Meteora doubled over as Marco punched her in the gut before grabbing her tail and threw her just as far as she did to him. She flipped in midair and landed on fours, unsure how could such the puny human princess withstand so much of her monster strength, the thoughts were interrupted as Marco raced after her, the wind literally chasing after him as he homed in on her.

And she met him in kind.

Claw versus fists.

Marco skid and bodily threw himself as if a plank knocking her down before he raised his foot nearly at head height and brought it down in a vicious arc, Meteora scrambled out of the way before the ground where her head was erupted in dust. She grunted when she felt solid boot meet her ribs and she was sent skidding across the ground, Marco chased after her, his eyes harden.

She pushed herself up and felt more and more of her monster blood run thicker in her veins she snarled, her eyes yellowed and slit, another pair of eyes open on her forehead, teeth turning sharp and her skin turning more scaly and red, her tail whipped viciously, she grew a foot taller and burlier but stayed in relative frame.

MONSTER FORM METEORA BUTTERFLY

Marco wasn't dissuaded and launched a flurry of kicks and punches, enduring the vicious claws and tail whips from his opponent. Meteora let her hate for the princess dictate her actions even when it meant Marco managed to land vicious jabs and hooks to her face, it just made her even more angry.

Marco swapped hands with her, muscling through her crushing blows and even her biting down on his shoulder, he grabbed her and performed an impromptu suplex. She growled and broke free midway, grabbing his foot and swung him like a rag doll, smashing his head against the ground and rock before slamming him back first into the ground.

Marco grunted before tucking his legs around her arm, pulling himself up grabbing her by blouse front and headbutt her. She roared feeling her long nose break before Marco pulled her down to her knees unleashing flurry of kicks.

Left roundhouse, snap kick, in crescent axe kick.

Meteora blinked deliriously.

Left axe kick, hitting her on it's way up and down.

Meteora tried to cover herself, but Marco slapped her arms away and alternated to his right foot.

Snap kick to the hip, roundhouse to the temple then the ribs, he spun himself alternating to his left foot to deliver a sidekick then a right sidekick. Meteora tried to fall back but Marco grabbed her to keep her steady and delivered a spinning roundhouse to the face sending her flying.

Marco chased after her, Meteora spat bloody saliva and pull herself up, the Dark Knight raced to close the gap. The hybrid struck her fist into the ground and with massive strength and exertion, muscles bulging and veins bunching at the skin, overturns massive slabs of ground. Marco ran even faster, leaping over the chucks of titanic earth and fell upon Meteora, she grabbed him in midair and slammed him into the ground, she hammer fist his face, his chest before grabbing a handful of his armor and hoodie as she sprinted across the barren land.

Marco yelled in pain as the friction of his body and the ground exceeded the levels of third degree burns, Undine and Seraph rapidly healed him but Meteora only cranked up the speed running for the horizon.

"DIE DIE DIE!"

Marco could feel a bald spot forming on the back of his head, a trail of skin and blood on the ground, he punched her wrist then forearm but it was harden by her resolve. He pulled out stake and put it through it and she screamed and ran even faster, the two Elementals yelled for Marco to break free, Automata getting weaker by the second.

Marco unclip on of his grenades and stuffed it against the stake, the explosion sent the two flying across the place, skidding on the ground.

Marco coughed, feeling his injuries mend itself but Automata was near depleted, she dropped Iron Skin and slumbered. Marco curled under the sudden injuries coming back in full force, clutching over wounds that were no longer there but the sensation of flesh being run raw and to a crisp remained. He convulsed, Marco was going into shock.

 _NO! Seraph you have to heal him faster! Quit using so little!_ _  
 _[Damnit, Ignis I will not break my vow!]_  
 _Shut up, Iggy! Let us work, he's not dead yet!__

Marco seized, feeling the cascading water heal him, slowly his breathing relaxed and he weakly coughed and sat up, so close to passing out, "Owww...fuck that hurts...is…Automata okay?"

 _Yes, but no thanks to you! Let her sleep for a bit, you're going to fight her like that for now._

"I can't do it without protection!"

 _What happened to 'I'll never get hit' huh!?_

"Yeah, with normal opponents, this is a monster mewman hybrid! I've never fought one of that!"

 _[Excuses! I expected more from you, Marco!]_

Marco pushed himself up, feeling the back of his clothes gone, he tore it off and tied whatever he had left on his waist, pants and belt. Thankfully, that was still usable, he glanced down at his chest, seeing the dull roman numeral one on it.

He traced it while feeling the dull throb of his back, reminiscing who gave it to him before turning to face Meteora who stomp closer towards him, her clothes were in tatters but overall if she shrunk there were plenty of rags to cover her modesty.

"How the fuck are you alive Princess Marco…"  
"Right back at you."

Marco threw a grenade and leapt to the side as the explosion sent the hybrid shuffling back her arms up to block the blast. He spied the stake, buried still.

 _Raiju!_  
 _I'm on it!_

Marco made wide intricate hand motions, arcs raced around his fingers and arms before he step forward and pointed at the stake, forks of lightning shooting from his fingertips. Meteora reacted in a split second leaping into the air and the fork made a 90 degree turn for the hybrid surprising her.

Marco winced at Meteora screamed, the lightning connecting but the hybrid tore it off before she plummet into the ground in a hard crash. Marco took a step forward

He immediately leapt back when Meteora hopped on all fours and charged like a bull, Marco pulled out his long knife, she laughed with insanity at the sight, "SILLY PRINCESS!"

Marco's eyes darken and he knelt and touched the ground, Meteora jumped and he rolled the side, her eyes followed him and the flash bang he left at his wake. Meteora took a face full and fell to the ground, clawing her eyes, Marco rolled further away as the hybrid begun to flail as if to hit him.

Marco took his knife and began to carve glyphs and symbols on the ground quickly, Meteora came to her feet, hunched with one hand over her eyes and the other clawing side to side.

"WHERE ARE YOU!?"

Marco ignored her and slowly worked, trying to keep the scraping of his knife low but Meteora's heighten sense of hearing caught it, Marco stiffen before leaping away as Meteora jumped and tried to grab him.

"WHERE ARE YOUUUUU!"

Marco flinched when a gout of fire spilled out of Meteora's maw unexpectedly, he put his arms up as Ignis manifested and caught the blast sending him skidding as Ignis contained it, the hybrid licked her lips and blinked seeing something in front of her.

Smoking slightly, Marco grabbed one of his few grenades and tossed it as Ignis leapt back and hugged Marco seeping into him, Meteora sputtered and pointed a finger at the blurry image of the flame, "IS THAT—ARGHHH!"

The explosion propelled Meteora backwards but she muscled through it and came rampaging forward, her vision returning to her, "WHERE DID THAT FLAME GO?!"

Marco growled and slapped a hand on the ground, feeling Gnome seep back into him via his fingertips on the ground, Eclipsa halfway through the mantle with a dark magic shell protecting her, seeing the earthy snakes leave her.

 _Damnit, Eclipsa is free and will be coming back! You better subdue Meteora now!_

With Automata resting, Undine + Seraph healing him, he just had a handful of Elementals to help him, that would be enough but they had stoppers to their powers to lend to him courtesy of Seraph. He flexed his concussive glove hands, feeling them pulse painfully despite the healing he was receiving and readied himself with the hybrid.

Marco brought his fist up in an uppercut motion, pillars of rock ascended to his command struck Meteora upwards before he leapt after her, she however had something else in mind and spewed fire, forcing Marco to use Slyph to blast himself back from the flames causing both of them to land.

"So…the princess can use elemental magic…where are you keeping the trinkets? Where are those knock off jars to hold the essence of that nature?"

 _[Ah, she's referring to those barbaric pseudo means to mimic our powers, indeed magicians can conjure up the elements to do their bidding but it is a shadow of our strength, a mockery even to us, Elementals. What we have is true power of the elements: because we ARE the ELEMENTS. And those feeble toys will never trump our birthright.]_

Marco wagged a finger at Meteora, "Ah, ah, ah. Now, didn't your mother teach you not to spread fibs of others?"

"I never learned that because I was robbed of my family! My mother imprisoned! My father executed!"

Marco masked his surprise with Gnome racing over his body forming an earthy armor as Meteora let out a flamethrower blast, heating the stone before he moved himself feeling the added weight. Slyph danced around him and he moved more easily, he wasn't as fast but it would have to do.

Marco rammed into Meteora, hitting her with slabs of rock he called hands and sending some flying from around him. The hybrid had little problems parrying and outright dominating the flow of combat with Marco being so much slower and a bigger target.

She leapt over rocks and pillars and clawed and whip him with reckless abandon, Marco was hardly able to keep up and growing sluggish by the second.

Meteora managed to get behind him and punched him to the ground before hopping on his back, feeling the ground crack before she leapt into the air, clicking her heels in mockery before pelting straight down and crushing the earthy form.

She smiled victoriously and shove an arm into the crumbling mass, hoping to dig out a broken body.

All she got was a muddy solution.

"Mud?"

She stood up and looked around, the sword still shine in the distance along with the blurry forms of the dead monsters.  
She was alone.

"He fled…coward." Meteora sneered before something exploded beneath her and the sound of rushing water. She made the big mistake of looking down and was introduced to a stony fist that most definitely broke her nose again.

Marco flailed in the air as Meteora tumbled backwards clutching her broken and bleeding nose, curled on the ground. Sylph caught him and put him down again,

"Oh sweet merciful fresh air!"

 _You do know I was supplying you with air right? You didn't need to hold your breath._

"Arrghh…" Meteora wheezed, Marco frowned at the sight, "Just to let you know, I'm not—OOF!"

Marco felt the wind knocked out of him as Meteora curled form suddenly explosively extended, kicking him back. He felt his broken ribs puncture his lungs and Undine screamed at him, _why are you so damn soft and puny Marco!? Your muscles are just for show!_

 _"Damnit…I can't…breathe…"_

Meteora sat up, seeing the water rush to Marco from the hole he exploded out of and wrap around him, she watched him for a moment, deducing he had to have some sort of control over nature far beyond the usual gimmicky means. She got on fours before she shot at him, her nose slowly mending itself, her unique blood mixture had some surprising qualities, one was regeneration not on par with the Lizards but just enough to get back into fights.

Marco wheezed and touched the ground, Meteora narrowed her eyes as a massive rock face exploded in front of her, she leapt on it and it immediately grew retractable spikes forcing her to leap off. She tried to jump over it only to find it rise even higher and she snarled forcing her to claw the sheer rock before fleeing from the spikes. The hybrid landed on fours before running around the rock face only to find more of it rising to obscure the weaken Marco.

She roared, beating her chest before she shrunk back to her base form.

"YOU CAN'T HIDE FOREVER PRINCESS MARCO! MY MOTHER WILL BE BACK AND WE'LL HAVE YOUR PRETTY LITTLE HEAD!"

Marco grunted feeling the bones pulled out of his lungs and back into place, tears slid down his face as Undine + Seraph worked, the two muttering darkly.

 _Almost done…you big baby._ _  
 _"Try being nearly killed!"_  
 _[…don't you dare say that, Marco.]__

Marco breathed deeply, the other Elementals worried for him and the situation; he could feel the distress, "Once you bring down these walls Gnome I'm going to put the hurt on her like I did earlier this time I'm not going to stop. I'm going to need all of you and I'll have to alternate rapidly, I hope you all can keep up."

The elementals agreed, if not grimly.

Marco felt Undine and Seraph's reluctance but he pressed on, feeling himself be finally patched up, "Seraph, I know you've been very hands off…but I'm going to need more, a lot more power, I can't keep this up if everyone is only giving me 2%."

 _[…fine then. 3%]_

"No. I need at least 25%, if Eclipsa shows up, 50%."

 _[With that much power, Marco, I don't have to worry about Eclipsa killing you: you will just drop dead with that much 'light' inside of you.]_ _  
 _ **[Then I'll just balance it with my 'darkness', sister.]**__

Marco waited for Seraph to give him more, Meteora fed up began to chuck rocks, cracking the walls.

The constant thuds made his ears ring.  
Marco waited still even when pieces fell and he could see outside.  
Meteora pulled a slab of rock the size of a van.

"That's a big rock."  
 _[…fine. 10% everyone and Marco, just put her down already!]_

Marco felt the Elementals channel their powers into him before he grinned, he inhaled before striking out his fists, sending the rock walls flying for the surprised Meteora. She threw the rock but it merely floated as her arms came forward, Marco made a claw hand gesture at the rock, Marco savagely smiled,

"My turn."

Meteora backstep as the rocks smashed into her before the rock she held fell on her, sinking her feet first until she was shoulder deep. Meteora head throbbed at the sudden impact, surprised it didn't smash her head open even as the rock was cleanly split in half. She let her blood run thick with monstrous intentions before the breaking free, taking her Monster Form once again, Marco smiled and bowed to her before taking up his 'sword hand dance' stance, the elements dancing around him.

Marco shot out like an arrow for the hybrid, despite the size difference the Dark Knight rained blows on her and Meteora found herself scurrying away from him.

Marco threw hard right jab forcing Meteora to step back but almost immediately with inhuman speed, Marco pivot with left foot and spun himself delivering a spinning high kick. The hybrid leaned back surprised at the follow-up however so focus on dodging the boot she failed to realize when a pillar of rock trailed behind the foot and sent her rolling instead. Meteora wiped the blood on her chin, _I have to dodge not only his gimmicky fighting but the elements too?! Mother where are you?_

Marco didn't let her rest and charged forward, completely on the offensive.

He came forward and threw out a punch knelling as he did so, Meteora readied for a slab of rock for the face but it was a feint, instead he collapsed to his left knee, delivering a low sweep kick, stumbling her. Marco recovered and leapt up and threw an uppercut, Meteora covered herself only to find she was lifted into the air by a gust of wind.

Marco rolled back into a kneeling position, hands touching the ground before he brought them up over his head into a clap, two slabs of rock hurled themselves to the floating Meteora. Nowhere to run, she breathed fire but it was useless, instead she braced herself as the rocks nearly crushed her stupid.

The gust let up and she fell to the ground, only to have Marco run forward and deliver alternating consecutive jump kicks, rocks flew to cover his fist and he punched her ribs with the right before a left straight and finishing with a flaming spinning back kick. Meteora crumpled at the devastating combo, seemingly juggled thanks to the wind keeping her aloft until it was over.

Marco frowned when Meteora pulled herself up however in a sluggish manner, he shifted his weight on one foot to the other before he step forward.

They hybrid wasted no time letting loose a stream of fire at him, he artfully sidestep, before jabbing and sending fireballs of his own at the hybrid. Meteora snarled and this time decided getting hit by the princess wouldn't be so wise anymore and leapt away from the flaming orbs. Marco stomped on the ground and a slab of rock shot into the air and he kicked it, or rather guided it with the kick as he never touched it and sent it pelting for Meteora.

She rolled to the side before realizing Marco was dashing forward, she inhaled and let out a bigger burst of flames, forcing Marco to stop and make wide flowing movements with his arms around him, water rush to his feet and he flung it through the flames and it struck her like a wave of bricks and dousing the flames.

He closed the distance and she made a swipe at him with her claws, he gracefully cartwheel to avoid it before closing the gap again. This time Meteora was ready, no longer underestimating his hand-to-hand prowess, sooner rather than later, he would strike her and she could tell it would be lethal no matter her heritage.

Marco got close, throwing a left and right stone fist jab at her, Meteora attempted to bear hug him, Marco let his right arm swing further back, his body following it before he delivered a right wheel kick.

"GRRRR!" Meteora threw her arm just in time to avoid getting hit in the face as Marco fell to the ground his kick not quite connecting. She roared in triumph seeing Marco's shocked face as she brought down her fist

only to be kicked in the face by an earthen Marco doing the exact same technique before crumbling away in a heap of dirt.

Marco leapt to his feet and continued his barrage of punches, kicks, elbows, knees and chops, Meteora spewed fire and raked him only to have her fire somehow shy away from the princess leaving him to only to dodge her massive claws.

Embolden with the elements, Marco intertwine his martials arts with slabs of rock, fireballs, jets of water and blast of air, surprising Meteora as he hammered away at her. And if it wasn't a face full of fire or rock slammed on her toes, it was Marcos made out of the elements performing follow-ups whenever his attacks didn't connect.

Meteora's vision filled with Marcos hitting her repeatedly with blistering combos, but her will was strong, the princess wouldn't do her in so easily.

Seeing the tired but iron resolve, Marco chambered his left leg before delivering two rapid high kicks before using his left for a back kick but the hybrid withstood it; a shadow ran underneath Meteora turning into a Sylph Marco and yanked her tail causing her to falter.

Taking the chance the Dark Knight threw a left roundhouse followed up with a hard jab but Meteora managed to back hand him away.

Sylph Marco snarled and slide kick Meteora before performing an improvised windmill, juggling the hybrid for a brief moment before delivering a kick and sent her flying. Sylph Marco picked up Marco, he looked at Meteora sluggishly pulling herself again before the whole place shook from a tremor, "Damnit, Eclipsa is nearly here…take this knife, and make the glyphs and symbols I was making, do it now or this place will get leveled when Eclipsa and I fight."

Sylph Marco looked at the knife before nodding and quickly raced around the two, making the inscriptions as fast as she could.

Marco ignored his throbbing welt on his torso, his bruised hands and feet, running for Meteora, dodging the tail as she spun her arms wide open, hoping to claw him. Marco looked for an opening, timing a punch into her side or belly but this just made Meteora spin even faster, he stepped back as the hybrid fell over dizzy and puking on the ground.

"Had enough?"  
"…urk, never—!"

Marco leapt back as Meteora suddenly tried to bury her claws into his legs, she didn't relent and followed up with more swipes at him. Marco raised a rock pillar underneath Meteora to interrupt her rhythm before slide kicking her, Ignis Marco materialized at the same time delivering a fly kick above Marco.

Meteora anticipating the double managed to avoid Marco, clotheslining Ignis Marco. Meteora readied to breath fire on Marco before her tail was yanked by Undine Marco; the hybrid breathed fire on her instead and she screamed but still held on. Despite bubbling at the impressive heat, Undine Marco heroically pulled Meteora away from the two.

and into the waiting arms of Gnome Marco who delivered the unfinished suplex that she deserved.

"Marco I'm done!"

Slyph Marco joined Marco as Ignis Marco, Undine Marco and Gnome Marco stood around him, after all the beatings Marco unleashed on her, Meteora still managed to stand up holding her bodice, her eyes glaring hatefully at him, she barred her teeth and there were gaps in it.

"…you just don't when to quit, do you?"  
"…like I…would ever…fall again…because of you, Princess Marco…and your pathetic doppelgangers…"

Marco looked at her before the elementals perked up as he began to channel their powers, "Are you sure? It will definitely kill her."

"I need to make sure Eclipsa is here in a particular moment or she'll just snatch her and run."

Undine looked livid for a second before she grabbed Marco's shoulder as did the other three, "You better know what you're doing, you promised me—" "I know, Undine…"

The ground began to rumble, stronger and stronger, rocks and pebbles began to tap rapidly, Meteora smiled sinisterly at Marco.

"You're going to die, Princess~"

Marco cupped his hands together, the elementals essences pouring into him, Seraph was indignant at what he was going to do, _[Marco, don't...]_

The elementals crumbled, vanished, splash and poof away as four glowing orbs floated in the cup hands before melding, Meteora's triumphant smile fell suddenly dreading what he was capable of, "Where did those—!"

FORCE OF NATURE!

Marco brought the cupped hands forward and a twisting stream came blasting out, he grunted and held his ground, Meteora spewed fire and it was easily severed. Meteora tried to limp away only to trip and skid on the hard ground, her eyes looked at it fearfully then to Marco's determine face,

 _…Mother._

"METEORA!"

A massive purple barrier exploded in front of Meteora and the twisting stream smashed into it, bending it nearly to breaking point. Marco grunted as the stream detonated and the following explosion sent him flying, the purple barrier crumbled away as Meteora was protectively hidden by Eclipsa, covered in head to toe in earth, a hole nearby.

Marco shook his head and stood up, Eclipsa wasted no time and flung a dark bolt at him, he held out a hand and the Traitor's Sword filled it and he smashed the dark bolt apart. Eclipsa's spades glowed a violent red, dark magic bolts raced around her fingertips; Marco held the sword in front of him, ready to deal with the queen.

"You're not getting away."  
"You're right, I'm not. Not without you two."

Marco thrust the sword downwards.  
Eclipsa and Meteora looked around startled, all around them were glowing glyphs made by Slyph earlier at Marco's behest. The queen readied to strike Marco down when suddenly a flash of light obscured everything in her vision.

Eclipsa blinked rapidly, the spots disappearing before she and Meteora looked around, the night sky was sprinkled with constellations she didn't recognize and the land different from Mewni. She looked across to see Marco still there, his hand on the Traitor's Sword,

"Moving us to another dimension, Marco? Afraid to die on Mewni?" Eclipsa sneered; Marco merely shook his head smiling.

"I don't want to level the entirety of Mewni by accident if I can help it." Marco casually pulled the sword out before dusting it, "And besides this dimension…this planet…is free of any occupancy, we can fight to our fullest here."

Without warning the ground around Marco began to crumble and something pulled itself out of it, Eclipsa narrowed her eyes at it, Meteora stared in horror.

A proud black suit of armor stood behind Marco, it bowed before it peeled open and slowly encased Marco until only his head was still free, "Now…I will bring all I have to bear, Eclipsa."

"…hmph, do your worst, Dark Knight."

And the helm fell over his face.  
And Marco was no more.

 **XxXxXxXxX**

* * *

Ah, so much action in so little time. Gotta say, with what I'm hearing about the Season 3B it is definitely not a godsend to be honest, it sounds like they just overly complicate things. I hear Star is seemingly a 'nobody' and 'not a princess' but hol' up gurl, your father is a legitimate royal prince: SOOO YOU ARE STILL A PRINCESS ON YOUR FATHER'S SIDE.

Gosh, is Star having yet another identity crisis? Mewni crisis...hmmm. Meh, just coincidence.  
What I am saying though is that being royalty doesn't mean just living the good life at birth, the term and concept of royalty is really skewed nowadays. I'll touch up on that later.

Pourquoi...okay, let's leave that off for now, my knowledge has gaps since I'm not watching Season 3B juuust yet so maybe I'm missing something here.

So back to the fanfic, yes, Marco is done with Meteora and now it's Eclipsa's turn. If things escalated with the hybrid, just wait till Eclipsa decides to play sandbox with Marco. As of right now Marco only has his Traitor's Sword and concussive gloves left on him. And he is hoodie-less, deja vu if I ever seen one.

Alright, let's get some things out of the way:  
The reason why Marco didn't just whack Eclipsa and Meteora off the bat is the fact Marco was trying to reason/negotiate with them even after they let loose a monster mob on him. Normally, yeah that's the end of the talking but Marco has been in hostile talks before so this isn't something new to him. It is only when Meteora personally wipes the floor with him that he sees there will be no talking until he beats them into commission. Sad.

I can already sense the 'but this', 'the chapter before', 'but then', I get it. This is a flashback chapter, so what you know up to now isn't relevant. Yet. It will mesh with the chapters that came before it, even if a bit messy.

As of the elements revealed:

Ignis [Fire]  
Undine [Water]  
Slyph [Air]  
Gnome [Earth]

Seraph [Light]  
Hallow [Darkness]

Raiju [Lightning]  
Automata [Metal]

Yeah, Marco has a lot more Elementals yet to debut and I'm sure you can guess what other Elementals Marco could have, but I'll leave that for your imagination. Have fun guessing! I'll give you a shoutout whoever guessed who correctly.

And finally, looking back at my drafts and the speed of my updates, I can't help but feel held back, I have so much interesting plot lines to reveal but with days passing me by, the series will definitely overtake me. MRAY pointed out my Scribes mirrors the 'Archives' in the series too well. Dunno about that so I guess I'll just have to fire back a lot sooner that I should, even if it means getting a little spoilery.

So here goes: I can't wait to debut an Original Character: DARCY. She appears down the line in my fanfic, she's going to be a literal hoot to write. And a fun little tidbit: Daron + Nefcy = Darcy [just a fun little easter egg ]

The story continues in the next chapter: **I am Eclipsa…the Moon transformed**

 _tu ne me reconnaiss pas?_  
I AM NRG

 **END OF TRANSMISSION**


	12. Chapter 12

**.  
Disclaimer: are you not entertained?!**

 **Chapter 11**

I am Eclipsa…the Moon Transformed

 **XxXxXxXxX**

* * *

Eclipsa stood in front of her daughter, her eyes hard on the black suit of armor, it pulled the Traitor's Sword and stood at the ready, she could tell the armor was thick, it would resist her magic…for a time. Eventually she would pierce it as long as the sword didn't find itself buried in her first.

A dark bolt formed in her hand, it crackled ominously.

The Dark Knight merely watched her. Waiting.

Again Eclipsa tried to lance into Marco's mind only to be rebuff by the dark metal armor that now covered the human. She frowned before making the dark bolt twice as large, the Dark Knight ran a finger down the edge of the sword.

Eclipsa struck first, throwing the dark javelin bolt at the Dark Knight as he spun to avoid it before sending a vicious shockwave forcing her to erect a purple barrier to withstand the arc. However, the barrier was not only to block the arc but the javelin as it exploded behind Marco sending him tumbling forward. Immediately, Eclipsa fashion herself more dark javelin bolts and flung them at the down Dark Knight with all her might.

She hissed when the earth suddenly open and swallowed Marco, the javelins striking then exploding on the spot he was prior. Eclipsa turned around and looked at Meteora, she had a number of bruises and welts all over her and her lovely nose disfigured, she cast a spell over her watching the injuries mend.

"Should have taught Princess Meteora some manners, Eclipsa…" came an echo, the queen glanced around looking for the source.

"And you should have known better than to strike a woman, a princess no less, Marco."

"Your mind games won't work against me, I made sure of it. And besides…on Mewni the women wears the pants…the males are just there for reproduction, you couldn't care less who it was so long as you had your lineage above ground."

Eclipsa looked around carefully, hoping to gall Marco on, a dark bolt in her fist, "Oh, so the men should be above us? Is that how it is done in your dimension, Marco?"

"I've been to countless dimensions, worlds and governments: I've seen it all so that baloney argument don't mean squat. But yes, majority of the time the men do wear the pants in my world and sometimes they don't, our history is about trial and error, we move forward and backwards…at the same time… Hmmm…okay so maybe my dimension is not a good example but it proves everything and nothing."

Eclipsa clicked her tongue and put her hand on the ground, feeling the near lifelessness of it, "Hmph, just as archaic as our own then. Come above ground and we'll discuss this futile subject at our leisure, Dark Knight."

"I don't think so."

"Pity that, boy."

The ground turned a blacken purple before Eclipsa muttered to herself,

 **NIGHTMARE SPINAL TUMOR**

Eclipsa felt the very planet shriek as massive dark magic spikes exploded around the two of them, she frowned as the spikes shot in every direction for miles and Marco didn't end up on one spike at all. Her frown deepen when it was done and Marco was nowhere to be seen.

"Where are you, boy…"

"…you should have not done that, Eclipsa you fecking dolt!"

The queen glanced upwards and took a step back.

Marco was standing way above her in midair as he wrestled with what looked like a thousand headed dragon made entire out of earth sprouting from his back, it's many heads locked her in place as it roared at her with what felt as if the entirety of the universe.

RR  
II  
PP  
HH  
EE  
RR  
HH  
EE  
AA  
DD  
OO  
FF  
FF  
HH  
EE  
RR  
SS  
HH  
OO  
UU  
LL  
DD  
EE  
RR  
SS

"GNOME! URGHHH! NO, PLEASE! YOU'LL CLEAVE APART THIS PLANET!" Marco seemingly forced the dragon back into his body as Eclipsa's eyes darted for her daughter. By some miracle Marco saw the eye movement and felt Gnome's vengeance bleed into him, he could feel something drastic change with Gnome,

 _ **I AM PRIMAL NATURE…I AM TERRA [GNOME]!**_

Marco felt suddenly his body move against his will and the Earth Elemental began to channel an attack, the other Sisters yell in surprise and fear with a collective

 _OH SHIT! [OH SHIT!] **[OH SHIT!]**_

 _ **TERRA METEOR!**_

The queen grabbed Meteora and leapt to the air, her midnight Butterfly wings unfurl out as the two fled as rocks bubbled out of dark armor forming a sort of earthen chisel before suddenly jettisoning itself for the queen.

The winds screamed as the earth covered Dark Knight pierce through, parting the air so quickly the point of the chisel glowed iridescent and flames seared all over it.

Eclipsa shot across the land as quick as she could just before the shockwave rippled and buckled the land sending fissures and the air suddenly like a solid wall slammed into Eclipsa sending her flying. Thrashing in the air and eerily hearing an unnatural scream, the queen threw out her arm and made herself a cushion barrier to crash upon, Meteora groaning alongside her mother feeling the wind knocked out of them and their ears bleeding.

The devastation of rock and dust was an unsettling image after the mushroom cloud dissipated. Massive slabs of rock and stone were jutted upwards revealing striped layers, deep scarred fissures stretched to the horizon and worse of all the earthy land after the magic was dissipated was bleached of any color. This part of the planet had succumbed. No longer would anything grow here: forever a scar on the planet.

A loud wail echoed across the land.

Marco emerged from the crater head first, clawing out of the indentation epicenter; it had nearly breached into the mantle and everything was hot to the touch. Marco could feel the sisters console an angry Gnome while Sylph helped him out of the crater and into the ruined landscape, it didn't take him long to spot Eclipsa tending to herself and Meteora.

 _Marco..._

"I know, Gnome, but you have to rein in that anger, I can't channel your powers when you're a flailing dragon."

 _…fine._

Eclipsa stiffen at the sight of the Dark Knight emerging from the crater floating out as if on strings. He took a moment to find her before he darted in her direction; not bothering even with a backward glance she made a handful of dark bolts and flung them behind her back, Meteora groaning as they took off again. Marco however disregarded the bolts and simply dodged them, keeping pace with the Queen.

Marco watched them for a moment, seeing what he considered the opposite of Star's Butterfly form: while the princess shine with radiance and a golden hue, Eclipsa's wings were tarnished with inky black, what used to be delicate wings looked twisted and a cross between that of a butterfly and moth.

He saw Meteora groan awake, _I better make sure she doesn't join in the fun…_

He swung the sword and sent and arc after the two before chucking the sword ahead of him, his hands suddenly engulf with fire and lightning.

Eclipsa had blew the arc to pieces before watching in quiet angry as Marco unleashed a stream of fire and a fork of lightning at her from his gauntlets. She cursed loudly as she made herself a purple bubble barrier, seeing the elements positively gnaw at the surface before bouncing away. She threw her bolts only to see Marco vanish and reappear ahead of her, both hands on the ground.

Undine + Gnome  
Mud Tsunami!

Eclipsa yelled as a mixture of water and soil mixed before raising itself up, obscuring the heavens before crashing over the bubble she made. The thousands of pounds of the solution sent her crashing down into the ground, she grunts as did Meteora as they floated in the soupy mud. Marco seemingly walked on the muddy water towards them,

"Give up Eclipsa, you can't hope to match me."

"Arrogant boy." Eclipsa spat, she stood up waist deep in mud before dark magic began to swirl around her, her cheek marks shined red, "You will know firsthand why I am the Queen of Darkness!"

Marco laughed at the threat, Eclipsa threw a dark javelin bolt at him and he backhand it away, the bolt exploding on impact in the distance.

"And you underestimate—!" Marco felt his body suddenly lifted and slammed into the mud, he gurgled as a monstrous hand kept him under. Eclipsa smirked as her magic finished healing Meteora and she managed to sneak up on the Dark Knight as he started monologuing.

Over confidence.

Meteora thrashed Marco under the mud before launching him upwards as Eclipsa unleashed a dark bolt volley, smashing into the tin man repeatedly. Meteora leapt to meet Marco, clasping both hands together, swung downwards and pelt Marco into the mud pool below. Eclipsa rode the mud wave that Marco produced upon impact.

Eclipsa caught Meteora before she hit the mud pool, Marco struggled to get up, the armor and thick mud making it difficult for the Dark Knight.

Meteora stalked closer, she swept a claw hand under the mud and found a nice big stone to crumple the helm with, she grinned feral and Eclipsa merely watched, Marco was on fours panting like a dog.

The hybrid grinned victoriously as she held up high for a moment and brought it down, Eclipsa readied to blast Marco if he countered.

GNOME + UNDINE  
FOREST RAMPAGE!

The two Butterflys grunted as a massive canopy of trees exploded from underneath them, the trees grew high and eventually they fell through the bushy top and hit the branches until they were in the undergrowth. Eclipsa helped Meteora up as the two looked around, the mud had receded leaving the two in a rather dark and spooky forest, Marco was nowhere to be seen.

Eclipsa frowned, looking around, she had always been able to home in on her enemies and friends thanks to her ability to mind read, she could pinpoint and filter them effectively. But with Marco, she had to rely on her sight and other senses to keep up with the Dark Knight, he was effectively a blind spot to her mentally, thankfully with her daughter whose senses are amplified she needn't worry about ambushes.

Meteora sniffed the air before she shook her head, "I can't smell him out…damn place reeks of wood and earthy aromas…"

 _Well, there goes that advantage…_

Eclipsa frowned when she could hear someone suddenly singing, however it wasn't Marco's own voice. Marco stared dumbfounded as a mud person made itself out of its own accord and pulled an electric guitar out of the ground,

"Musica, no! Don't!"

The mud person merely winked and began to strum,

 _Welcome to the Jungle!_  
 _We got fun 'n' games_  
 _We got everything you want_  
 _Honey we know the names_

Marco groaned before rushing out of his hiding place and throwing fistful of fireballs, forcing the two to split as he threw the average size searing shots. Some bounced off Meteora's toughen and magically reinforced hide, Eclipsa blew them apart in mid air with her dark bolts. Marco frowned, knowing if they were stronger he would have the upper hand.

 _We are the people that can find_  
 _Whatever you may need_  
 _If you got the money, honey_  
 _We got your disease_

Marco leapt over fallen trees as Meteora started to uproot them and threw them with her monstrous strength, he slid as tree trunks came crashing from above and thrown like spears at him. Eclipsa took advantage of Marco's attention and managed to tag him, sending him rolling into the soil and scrambling for cover.

 _In the jungle, welcome to the jungle_  
 _Watch it bring you to your_  
 _Shun na, na, na, na, na, na, na knees, knees!_  
 _*moaning*_  
 _I wanna watch you bleed!_

Eclipsa threw a dark bolt somewhere in the forest and was pleased to hear an electric guitar explode.

Marco pressed himself against a tree trunk, catching his breath, he touched the ground feeling their movements as they explored the massive forest he made,

 _Uh, we made, thank you very much._

 _Taking credit for our work, Marco?_

 _"Okay, okay, your work. Anyways, with the two of them I'll need more than 10% Seraph; I need an advance pay on those percentage."_

 _[No. I refuse to give you anymore than that.]_

Marco mentally sighed, while he had access to a great amount of powers it was always on loan. He could never abuse it thanks to Seraph, the Elementals would happily give it to him, most of them anyways but with a handicap like this, he would just have to get clever.

He stood up and let Slyph dance around his feet, he took a tentative step forward before dashing forward; immediately dark bolts exploded around him, Eclipsa sent volleys viciously, Marco growled not wanting her. He skid, his fingertips touching the ground and making more trees before slamming into Meteora, recovering she spewed fire and he ran for it, making trees as he went.

The hybrid spewed acrid fire at the circling Dark Knight, leaving the two in a ring of fire, Meteora continued until Eclipsa quickly reprimanded her, "Foolish girl! Look we're trapped and we'll suffocate!"

Meteora's face turned scarlet at being scolded like a child, Marco leapt through the flames and tagged her on the back of her head making the hybrid spew fire at him, scorching more wood and adding to the massive inferno.

"Miss me with that fire!" Marco laughed as he threw fireballs back at them, the fireballs bouncing off Meteora and making more fire spots.

Meteora roared at him.

Eclipsa fed up with the boy's tactics and the sweltering heat and smoke, grabbed her daughter and unfurl her wing and the two burst through the top canopy, all around them was the forest doused in a sea of fiery red, yellow and orange.

 _This forest…he was planning to trap us with it, a good decision…bad execution._

Marco ran out of the forest, seeing the two on the leafy canopy, he looked around seeing the massive wildfire Meteora had made for him.

 _Yes, that's plenty, now I have all the fire power in the world now!  
_ _"Let them have it, Ignis!"_

Marco grinned as he drew himself up and launched a fireball at the two, Eclipsa scoffed and threw a dark bolt and exploded it. The Dark Knight made another one and flung it, the queen made another bolt and threw it, as the fireball got closer, the forest fire joined the fireball doubling the size.

"WHAT!?"

The bolt did nothing to the fireball and forced the two to split apart, Marco drew up more fireballs and flung it at the two, each turning massive forcing the two to flee the fire volley. Eclipsa threw dark bolts and the fireballs easily dwarfed them, they only served to make them more threatening.

Eclipsa fumed, _that boy used Meteora to fan his flames! He's flaming us to death!_

Marco could see the two regrouping, he roared calling upon Slyph and Ignis,

Slyph + Ignis  
Great Breakthrough: Wildfire Wave!

Eclipsa and Meteora felt their blood run cold despite the sudden increase in temperature as Marco sent a massive gust of scorching wind at them only to be amplified by the wildfire making it a massive wave of fire, the sheer brilliance of the flames lit the dark recesses of the night, outshining the stars.

Seeing the wave of destruction about to embrace her and her daughter, Eclipsa grabbed hold of Meteora before both cheek marks glowed iridescent.

 _Grrr, MARCO!_

Eclipsa's arms darken further as she unleashed a massive dark magic wave, the two waves clashed, each unwilling to give into the other, Eclipsa gritted her teeth as she poured in more magic even drawing upon Meteora's massive reserves to just compete with the hellish wall of fire.

Sylph!  
STORM BREAKER!

Marco wasn't slouching either and sent vicious gusts of wind, making the wave even more massive, nearly breaching Eclipsa's own dark wave. The two waves wobbled precariously as if contemplating who would fall first.

Eclipsa held her breath.

Then the queen screamed as her wave bowed and collapsed forcing her to throw a barrier over herself as the inferno came crashing down, scorching the forest to cinders along with the earth.

Marco panted, feeling the toll of the Elements, "I hope…I didn't deep fry…those two…"

 _…not going to lie, but I bet Moku is pissed.  
_ _DAMN STRAIGHT I AM!_

Marco winced hearing the Wood Element nearly on the verge of tears, anger fresh in her words, but she had a better hold on her anger than Gnome did.

 _You better re-plant this planet when you're done, Diaz!_  
 _"I will."_

Marco looked around the scorched land, he made slow drawing motion, from bottom to top and drew up water before sending it washing into the blacken soil, the sizzling of water and smell of wet charcoal and ash filled the air. He got his sword to come back to him as he walked through the burnt out patch of land, surveying the amount of damage he had caused. He could see a clear line of where the two waves had clashed, the soil tough and darken, he touched the black soil before little green shoots grew underneath his fingertips.

He smiled but still concerned on the whereabouts of the two.

He continued to trek across the destruction, stepping over toasted logs and trunks, branches easily breaking underneath his boot and soot and ash coating it. Marco looked far ahead of him, Seraph's words stinging his ears, somehow someway she could do this and none of her sisters could hear her,

 _[This is exactly why I will never let you have my Sisters, Dark Knight. Your people are callous to nature…and so are you.]_  
 _"…you give me too much credit."_  
 _[Don't…test my patience. After this farce, I'm taking them all back with me, you will never have my Sisters at your whims again.]_  
 _"…the more you coddle them, the more they want to prove themselves."_

Marco stumbled when his heart suddenly was filled with light, he clutch it and the Elementals noticed. Marco mentally assured them he was fine as Seraph glared at him, _"I don't want them to think badly of you, Seraph. You have every right to be angry."_

Marco straighten up and continued to walk among the devastated landscape, his footsteps making small patches of grass, unbeknownst to him.

A wet crunch underneath his boot made him pause, his eyes fell upon a shallow indentation.

Marco slammed a palm into the ground just before the place around him exploded, massive claw hands of dark magic rising to crush him.

MOKU!  
GRAND WOODEN FORTRESS!

Massive wooden pillars, archways, walls and such came thundering up from underneath Marco, him being pushed upwards by a massive floor, pillars spreading horizontal, vertical and diagonal to keep the structure stable. The Dark Knight saw Eclipsa and Meteora tangled amongst the growing fortress before the place he stood was quickly converted into a plain room with a desk, chair, shelf and door way out.

Marco knocked on the desk feeling the concrete feeling before sitting on the chair, Moku made herself out of the wall and stood before him.

"How are you feeling today, Moku?"

The Wood Elemental glared at him, she took to an Australian Buloke wood at the moment, her hair red-brown and her complexion light brown with freckles that seemed yellowish.

"I should leave you to deal with those…women of yours, Marco. I can feel them breaking my nice furniture…"  
"Can they even break it?"

Moku gave him an impish look before she shook her head, crossing her arms, "Of course not! I don't make termite-infested wood! All this smart-talking-mercenary-facade…I gotta give you some wood. To the face."

"Please don't." Marco laughed, "You'd enjoy it too much."

Moku sighed before sitting on the desk feeling the slight tremors and howling of Meteora as she tried to burn and punch the wooden structure to no avail, "Remember to reinvigorate this planet…too many barren ones nowadays, I would like to see my Elementals sisters here awaken."

Marco nodded before he stood up hearing more commotion from the two Butterflys wreaking havoc inside the lovely wooden fortress. Moku followed him through the door before they heard Musica's echoing singing, a lyrically refreshing voice,

 _Embrace the dark you call a home,_  
 _Gaze upon an empty, white throne_  
 _A legacy of lies,_  
 _A familiar disguise_

 _Sing with me a song of conquest and fate_  
 _The black pillar cracks beneath its weight_  
 _Night breaks through the day, hard as a stone_  
 _Lost in thoughts all alone_

"WHAT IS THAT SUPPOSE TO MEAN YOU HARPY!?" Meteora screamed.

"Musica really does love her songs…"  
"Well, that's why you named her that, blockhead."  
"Heh, well, that's why you're 'Moku'."

Moku turned away at her name, she twirled a lock of her hair before pointing to a section of the fortress being hammered and splintered, several holes punched through already no doubt Eclipsa and Meteora didn't respect hospitality.

"Teach them to respect nature's bounty, Marco."

Marco grinned leapt off the balcony, a wooden pillar sprout for him to land before he leapt again only to have more pillars assist him. Moku watched him for a moment before Musica skipped along to meet her.

 _…your boyfriend is a bad influence._  
 _You're just jealous you're not with Monster Arm!_  
 _…you're some kind of freak aren't you, Musica?_  
 _Super freak! Cause I'm a very special girl!_

Marco winced hearing Moku yell at her sister as he reached the Butterflys' floor, the walls exploding and sending chucks of wood and splinters at the Dark Knight, he batted them away with his sword and pointed it at them.

"Is this how you treat your host's hospitality?"

Meteora roared at him, spewing fire all over him, he slammed the sword down before grappling with Meteora, falling over the railings with the hybrid. Eclipsa threw a dark bolt at the sword

The queen blinked seeing the sword unfazed by the blast but more so at the lack of a teleporting Dark Knight to it. Eclipsa yelled as the floor beneath her broke apart she fell to the next floor in a heap as Marco recalled the sword back to him.

Eclipsa threw dark bolts at Marco as he easily swatted them away, she drew herself up and thrust both palms at him,

 **NEBULAR SLASH!**

Marco held the sword defensively as massive dark and milky spatial colored magic arcs burst forth forcing the Dark Knight to hastily defend himself. A loud thud echoed in the background.

Marco brought the sword down to his hip and spun hard sending out a massive horizontal arc at the Queen, Eclipsa snarled and brought her hand down and the two arcs exploded on contact. Marco leapt to the railing, balancing himself before he ran to the left just as Eclipsa shot after him, her wings unfurled and shooting dark bolts at him.

The queen gave a quick glance down and saw Meteora picking herself up from the ruins of broken wood, seeing more dents on the wood likely when she fell.

 **NIGHTMARE SWARM!**

Marco yelped as thousands of moths and evil butterflies suddenly enveloped him, gnawing at his armor before he fell over the railings. Eclipsa quickly glanced down to watch him fall only to yank her head back as the Traitor's Sword nearly beheaded her as it slammed into the ceiling above her.

Marco appeared a moment later engulfed in fire, Eclipsa swung her fist at him and Marco crumpled into the wall as a massive dark magic fist met him.

"Be proud of yourself, Marco," Eclipsa spat as she pulled her gloves off as the massive fist held him in place, she looked at her arms before making a dark bolt, "You have made me use my powers more often than I would have liked…aw, see here, Marco? My arms are fit to bursting, ow…"

She held out her arms, the near blacken purple coloring had scarlet spidery veins on the surface, "Not only is it spreading but my body…hmph, well it bears not to think, I guess I'll just crush your head now."

The Dark Knight clawed as the fist pressed harder, the metal creaking, "You could have been such a great pawn…I wonder what you could have sired, Marco."

Eclipsa gestured and the fist pushed and the Dark Knight disappeared out of sight.

Without a backward glance, she threw a dark bolt at the sword and the materializing Dark Knight was soundly struck and fell to the ground, the queen laughed,

"Predictable."

"AM I?"

Eclipsa doubled over as Marco burst out of the hole in the wall and struck the queen sending her slamming into the railings. The suit of armor pulled itself up and flew, setting itself once again on the Dark Knight, he grunted feeling the heavy metal fall upon him again. Eclipsa wiped her chin, dark bolts in her hands, she twisted them and they became more dagger-like, Marco looked at the sword before raised his dukes.

And the two swapped hands.

Marco looked clumsy compared to the queen as she surprisingly and gracefully maneuvers around him, jabbing her dark daggers into his midsection and across his face. Dancing away as his fist or metal boot missed her by mere inches.

He feints and threw a jab and she grabbed him by the wrist before a massive dark hand exploded from the floor and uppercut him. Marco grunted before the hand let him go before he was swatted flying across the open space and slamming through the wooden wall into another part of the fortress.

Eclipsa looked at her arms for a moment before she sighed and flew after Marco.

The Dark Knight shook his head, pushing broken planks and plywood from himself and looked around: the dining hall. He looked at the hole he entered from and the tables and chairs he smashed to bits, Moku really outdone herself.

Marco straighten up as Eclipsa entered the hall, she whistled looking around and seeing the marvelous handiwork and craftsmanship, "This would have made to be a lovely abode, too bad I'll have to bury you in it."

Marco regarded her for a moment,

"If I was so inclined…"  
"You would do what exactly, boy?"

He snapped his finger and Eclipsa froze.

Screaming. Loud screaming.

"This is my house, Eclipsa. Here: I am King."

The queen stared at Marco.

"What's attacking my daughter."  
"Nothing lethal hopefully. But—they do get overly excited." Marco paused when an echoing crash reached them.

Eclipsa's cheek marks glowed violently red, her eyes aflame, she quietly spoke to the Dark Knight, as if finally her temper and patience had reached its end.

 **"You die this day, Marco Diaz."**

Marco felt his marrow ache at the chilling declaration.  
And he watched in horrid fascination as Eclipsa assumed her True Butterfly Form.

It wasn't majestic like Moon or Star's. It was a maddening sight.

Her wings sprouted out but instead of the midnight wings he saw before it shed the insectoid look and instead the flaps were made of skin, bruised and veiny, it stretched as if hands; no antenna but instead was twisting ghoulish horns, her sclera darken only leaving hollow eyes, her cheek marks bled as if overflowing with crimson and arms pushed out, twisting from her sides, grasping and clawing, fingernails long and sharp, her once pale skin turned gray only her arms retain color of dark magic contamination; she snarled showing her jagged uneven sharp teeth.

 **I AM ECLIPSA, QUEEN OF DARKNESS, HIGH QUEEN OF MEWNI.**

 **FEAR ME.**

Marco felt his entire armor rattled as she casually flicked her hands and he was sent flying from the mere gesture, smashing through more tables and chairs. She cocked her head before she screamed, shaking the fortress and his skull before she charged at him, her claw hands skittering off the floor and sending a vicious slash across the armor, leaving deep marks.

Marco gasped seeing Eclipsa's darker magic and powers at work, he clapped his hands together making the wooden furniture fly and smack the queen but it was torn apart from a single slap from the queen. She grinned evilly at him, he gulped realizing Eclipsa wasn't going to work up a sweat with him.

She was out to kill him.

Marco jabbed out fireballs at her and she screamed at it, the fireballs exploding harmlessly from her.

The sounds of cries from below got Marco sweating.  
Somehow, Eclipsa was boosting Meteora too.

The queen could see the Dark Knight's trepidation and she laughed, her ugly cackle echoing in the fortress before she shot at him, hands filled with swirling dark magic. Marco leapt away only to be blasted across his hall.

Eclipsa was more nimble and her wings gave her the advantage of leaping higher and staying aloft, allowing her to scrape and slash the Dark Knight. Marco however sent fireballs, blast of wind and even planks of wood into Eclipsa.

But it mattered little to the queen, shattering them with a gesture or scream, the madden queen continued her assault.

Marco held out a hand for his sword only to be swatted by Eclipsa, she screamed like a banshee and smashed him into the wall halfway through before dragging him by his leg, breaking the wall with his midsection. The Dark Knight kicked at the queen only to receive a dark dagger stabbed behind his knee, Marco yelled in pain and Eclipsa wasted no time tearing him across each support beam in the wall. It broke and gave way but in return it dented the armor further and further before Eclipsa yanked him back leaving his head in the wall.

And repeated the process.

Breaking the wall supports with the Dark Knight's helm before viciously slamming him into the wooden floor, Marco skidded before he came to a stop. He painfully pulled out the dagger before pulling himself up a table leg.

Eclipsa blew the table apart making Marco fell flat on his back.

Marco lifted his head, one side of the helm nearly flatten, blood dribbled down the side of his cheek and neck. The queen landed before him making herself a handful of daggers, Marco swung his fist at her sending a fireball, she flicked a dagger only to see Marco send a blast of wind amplifying the fireball and it smote her.

Marco pushed himself up only to see the wings protectively wrapping the Butterfly.

It snapped open and a shockwave sent him crashing into the far wall, it creaked and fell backwards with him still lodged into it. Marco rolled to his side and pushed himself up, feeling every bone positively aflame, he refused to whimper in pain and struggled to his feet, the armor making it difficult.

He half expected Eclipsa to kick him over the railings, but when Meteora climbed into view, throwing something over her shoulder, he understood the pause in the assault.

Gone was her Monster Form, now the hybrid took to her mother's lineage, her Butterfly Form.

Meteora didn't change overly, she retain her pasty complexion and ashen hair. She had everything he had seen before of the Butterfly form however her wings weren't as big as her mother's. But that didn't detract from each purple-black swirled wing having a pair of red eyes on the top and lower section, her extra four arms wrapped around her bodice and surprisingly her dress was knit back together and had an ethereal glow of silver, her tail even had a little bow-band tied to it. All in all, she looked like a proper Butterfly now, but the ugly look on her face, the savage grin and hateful eyes detracted immensely how stunning she could have been.

"Princess Marco…"  
"…well, fuck."

Marco braced himself as Meteora shot arms out, crying out gleefully,

 **HEINOUS NEEDLES!**

Marco bit back a yell as foot long 'needles' nearly skewered him, the armor rebuffing them but some managed to stick by the tip. He swept an arm down his front before Meteora charged and pinned him to the wall, her many arms holding him by the neck, arms, torso and her tail wrapping his legs.

"Oh, how I waited for this, Princess…" Meteora snarled, she ran a fingernail painfully down his visor, peeling metal, "I'm going to take away everything you ever loved as payback for what you done and taken from me! You'll watch powerless to do anything about it!"

"You had it coming after what you done to all those princesses, Heinous." Marco spat, "And what you're doing now…you're no better than your tormentors."

"WHAT IF I AM?! MORALITY IS A BULLSHIT LIE! I WANT SUCCULENT SATISFACTION AND REVENGE! DAMN YOU AND EVERYONE WHO DID THIS TO ME! YOU USE THAT MEDIOCRE MORAL HIGH GROUND TO CONTROL OTHERS, BUT I'M NOT FALLING FOR IT! I AM TO BE QUEEN OF MEWNI ONE DAY AND THAT USURPER HAG MOON AND SPOILED BRAT STAR TOOK IT FROM US! FROM ME!" Meteora screeched.

Marco groaned when she cocked back a fist and dented his midsection, Eclipsa watched the exchange mutely, it seemed like she almost a statue.

"AND IF I CHOOSE TO BURN MEWNI TO THE GROUND—SO BE IT!" she grabbed his visor and tried to pry it open, her mouth full of purple flames.

UNDINE!  
WATER PISTOL!

Marco's visor snapped up, crushing Meteora's finger, she roared fire spewing from her nostrils as Marco unleashed a pressurized stream of water from his lips into her face and sending her smashing into the railing.

YUKI!  
FREEZING MIST!

Meteora's eyes widen as the water hose froze over her, encapsulating her in an ice cocoon, her flames frozen in her mouth, no doubt turning it into a mucky grease. Marco turned it on Eclipsa just as she glide for him, freezing the dark bolts aimed at his vulnerable face. She zipped underneath and clipped his legs making him fall over, he slammed his palm on the floor and wooden pillars shot upwards barring the queen from him.

He called his sword just as Eclipsa sliced through the wood with a dark magic blade from all of her six arms and darted for him. Marco gritted his teeth and brought the sword down from attacking stance to defensive, even with her empty socket eyes he could feel the smug glee from her.

He still could not turn the Traitor's Sword edge directly on her.  
Or Meteora for that matter.

Marco blocked the many arms.  
Horizontal. Vertical. Diagonal. Thrust. Jab. Stab. Backhand. Overhead. Lunge. Riposte.

The many dark magic blades that bypass his guard cut into the armor.

Shallow.  
But each cut grew deeper and deeper.

Exasperated with the onslaught Marco spun, a backhand from the metal gauntlet colliding with Eclipsa's face definitely made her stumble before Marco kicked her into the wall, wooden serpents wrapped the queen. Before she could banshee scream her way out, Marco's visor snapped open,

Ignis + Sylph  
Blast Rupture!

Eclipsa screamed as the massive fireball smote everything around her, leaving her unharmed but a blacken hole surrounding her. Marco brought the sword down to send an arc only to have Eclipsa snap a finger at him, the floor exploded into splinters and he sank waist deep. The Traitor's Sword thud into the hard floor harmlessly.

Eclipsa shot forward and caught Marco's arm as he readied to jab a fireball, he yelled as the hand crushed the metal as another hand rose with a dark magic butcher knife and it descend for his forearm.

 _MARCO!_

He felt the metal peel off him just in time as the blade sliced through armor plating, he tuck his arm back and collected a handful of lightning and lance Eclipsa back into the wall.

Marco panted, seeing Eclipsa pull herself up, he looked at his armor-less arm before he was pushed out of the hole courtesy of Moku. He looked around as the fortress began to shift, changing itself as pillars, beams and partitions moved to separate Marco and Eclipsa.

He breathed a sigh of relief before he heard something crack behind him, he rolled to the side on instinct just as Meteora attempted to haymaker the back of his head in.

"Tsk, you should have stayed, Princess Marco…" Meteora mocked, "Then your death would have been quick and painless, now I have to rip you apart, limbs and all. Slowly."

Marco narrowed his eyes, his sword still stuck to the floor, Meteora walked and stood between him and it.  
The Dark Knight sighed before he warped behind Meteora to his sword and jabbed a fireball for her back.

Her tail unfurled underneath her dress and malicious flicked the projectile back at him, his helm knocked off his head before Meteora spun and punched him. Marco blinked in mute shock what just happened, he could dimly hear Meteora cursing over her burnt tail.

Marco felt the fortress tremble, the sound of dark bolts exploding got him to his feet and faced off with Meteora.

"No matter how much you separate us, Princess, mother and daughter will always be reunited!" Meteora sneered, magic swirling around her hands, Marco called his sword just as she thrust her arms forward and all six hands shot out a ray of twisted magic at him.

 **HIENOUS BLAST!**

Marco faced the blade flat to deflect the concentrated beam, he grunted as he was pushed back, his metal boots scoring the floor. Meteora laughed nastily as she pushed forward, uncaring how much magic she used, "DIE PRINCESS!"

Marco was pressed against the wall, he snarled and wind danced at his feet, he kicked hard and sent a wind javelin to the hybrid only to have her disengage one arm to blast it apart.

 _Moku!_  
 _A little busy dealing with the other one!_

Marco grunted as stray beams skitter off the blade, making sizzling black scorches on the wood, Meteora took noticed and increase the blast making even more stray beams. Marco roared as one slowly burned across his thigh and shoulder, his arms nearly gave at the sudden pain.

"Yes, burn!" Meteora cackled, Marco tuck his head to the side as a beam sizzled where his head used to be, the smell of burnt wood started to get overpowering. The hybrid step closer and closer, Marco's arms began to ache and burn, Meteora gleeful got closer to see his face turn from defiance into despair.

Marco roared and twisted the blade, pushing himself to the side in an angle, the stray beams sliced through the armor and he bled underneath the metal, however in that brief instance he got the beam to reflect and cut Meteora down with her own beam.

The hybrid numbly stares at him; stopping the beam flow a second later before glancing down at her belly, seeing a charred line and the smell of cooked meat.

Marco panted and walked off to the side as Meteora clutch herself, hoping to stop herself from toppling over as she felt the charred line go around past her sides.

"…you…?"  
"..."

Marco felt an unnatural level of dark magic permeate inside of the fortress; a shriek told him Eclipsa was coming.

The Dark Knight drew up his sword and without a second thought unleashed an arc as the far wall exploded, the arc cut through the smoke revealing nothing, no Eclipsa blitzing in. Behind him the wall explode and Marco spun and thrust the armor-less arm out, a fireball hurling through the hole.

No Eclipsa.

Marco buckled and yelled as his back exploded with pain, dark magic spikes pierced through the armor and flesh. He bulged his muscles, feeling a sickening paralysis, he spasm before crane his neck enough to see Eclipsa in the first hole looking at him before she flew in and began to mend Meteora.

Her daughter pitifully wept to her.

"Mother…he…he…it hurts…"  
 **"Shhh…"**

Marco watched as Eclipsa huffed painfully as a bugle rose from her throat into her mouth, with deft hands she took the glob in her mouth, turning out to be some sort of organic magical silk and began to sew Meteora's midsection, a dark magic needle piercing skin, she cried.

The queen paid no mind as she continued to work while Marco could hardly move, even his breathing became laborious, damnit! Seraph, purge this Dark Magic! I can't move!

 _[…you went too far Marco.]_  
 _"What?!"_  
 _[You killed Meteora…if not for her mother, you'd have killed her. Look as she sews her child.]_  
 _"You got to be joking! You knew exactly what she was capable of! The both of them! Don't act as if this is—"_  
 _[Don't even think of twisting your words, boy…you broke your word. I'm taking my Sisters home. Good luck fighting these harlots. Alone.]_

Paralyzed.  
And his head fit to bursting as all the Elementals screamed at Seraph, even quiet Hallow spoke her mind.

 _Purge it out of his system!_  
 _Are you mad?!_  
 _They are beating him to a pulp!_  
 ** _[Seraph, you can't do this.]_**  
 _But you promised we would all help!_

 _[ENOUGH! I said we would help him but what he has done has gone too far. We are not going to lend our awesome powers to him to abuse any longer!]_

More arguing ensued.  
Somewhere deep inside, Marco could feel the grins and head shaking of his other guests.  
The arguments escalated and Seraph's voice screech over the others.

 _ **[You're only angry because he reminds you of**_ **_**m******a******r**c***u***s***!_** _ **These 'restrictions' are just you trying to keep him safe! Because Marco looks just like him doesn't he? We all thought it was him when he came to Prima! Don't you lie, Seraph!]**_

Marco felt his fear of the two Butterflys evaporate at the astonishment of Hallow, the soft-spoken Darkness Elemental, raising her voice and speaking whole-heartedly at her counterpart. Even the other Elementals were in shock as were his other guests, Monster Arm had the tact not to say anything snide or stupid.

Marco's head swam with the new information, whoever he resembled…'his' name escaped his understanding, only pieces of it registered to him…he quietly said it to himself, _Marcus…_

 _ **[Marco…take command of my Sisters, just know your body will not withstand such raw power, prepare yourself and deliver the coup de grace already.]**_

 _"I understand, thank you, Hallow."_

Marco felt the burst of power flood his system and he broke the spikes, Eclipsa looked up at him not at all shock before she snapped her finger at him, he brought his sword down but blown back all the same, slamming into the wall as his armor crack and pieces fell.

 **CARRION CANNON**

Marco spit to the side before he let the fire dance into his open hand, the flame much more intense as it burned his fingers, he threw it the fireball before using his other hand and collected two Elementals.

Sylph + Olive  
Napalm Storm!

The fireball bloated at the added ingredients engulfing the entire room in flames, even with Ignis blocking the flames for Marco, he could still feel the sweltering temperature. Eclipsa stared at the flames, arms around Meteora sealing her wound as the other four shot forward and erected a barrier.

Marco knocked on the wall and tumbled out as the wall gave away, he nursed his redden fingers as he limped away. Despite the additional power, his body was having an adverse effect already, Hallow flood his system and that allowed him to overload the spikes, but now he felt sullen and dreadful and Ignis's Incendiary were too hot to the touch.

His body couldn't handle it.  
He was susceptible to killing himself if he didn't gauge it right.

Marco limped further down the floor, no doubt Eclipsa would not give chase until Meteora was healed. He motioned for Moku and began to make traps: false floors, falling archways, painted doors and such, anything to slow them down while he recuperated.

The Dark Knight thought of hightailing it, but squash the notion. Knowing Eclipsa would retaliate by taking it out on the denizens of Mewni and they weren't ready to contend with the queen while they bicker amongst themselves.

He needs to bring Eclipsa to heel first.  
Then deal with the rest of Mewni.

He set a few more traps, using the Elements in smaller doses before Moku made him a room and he sat on a chair, feeling the effects catching up to him. Seraph refused to heal him alongside Undine, the Water Elemental was silent as she worked, doing an infinitesimal job compared when Seraph helped. The sword left standing on it's tip.

"Thank you all…for helping me…"

The Elementals gave half-hearted answers, sensing Seraph's simmering rage with all of them.

 _"…Seraph, who is Marcus?"_

 _[...]_

 _"I don't know his full name…but that's what I caught."_

 _[...]_

 _Marco…the thing is…_ _**m******a******r**c***u***s*** is before our time. Well, most of us. Seraph and Hallow are among the oldest of us, Elementals, not counting the rest._

 _"I don't understand…"_

 _[Good. Because you have no right to know. And all of you…shut your mouths.]_

 _Tell that to—_

 _[Don't test me *inaudible*, I was left in charge of all of you, DO NOT DEFY ME.]_

 _"Seraph that's not fair, you can't—"_

 _[You know what Marco: I hate that nickname you gave me. I hate the nicknames you gave to all of my sisters. They have proper names before you came and gave them those little pet names. Is that what my sisters are to you: pets? You didn't deserve to step foot on Prima, your existence mistake. I hate your species for what they done to their birth planet, but I could forgive that, stupid little ingrates you humans are. But you are not excused. I hate you, Marco.]_

Marco was silent despite hearing the sisters being riled up again.

He contemplated how Seraph felt, ever since he landed on Prima she made it clear she wanted him gone and to forget the place, now he knew a bit of it, but it wasn't the whole picture.

 _What did **m******a******r**c***u***s*** do to upset her so?_

His musing was stopped when he could hear the wood being torn apart and splintered. The sound of traps being sprung and the cries of shock and outrage.

Marco pushed himself up and grabbed the sword.

He resign himself to not deflect any dark bolts as Eclipsa and Meteora attempted to flush him out, there was a chance they would miss him on their search.

Bolts blasted through the walls. Smoke wafted through the planks. The sound of furniture breaking and thrown to the lower floors.

"He's not here Mother!"

 **"…sniff him out."**

Marco frowned as the sound of a four-legged beast scamper closer and closer; he readied himself.

He jumped up just as a dark magic hand erupted underneath him, the door burst open and Meteora lunged, missing Marco as he came down and spring board off Meteora and out the door.

He threw a handful of flames then a glob of napalm courtesy of Olive and left Meteora, he leapt over the railing in time to see Eclipsa miss him with a blast of dark magic. Moku grew out wooden pillars and brought him to safety but the Butterflys weren't done with him.

Marco landed on the next floor and immediately ran as the ceiling gave and Meteora was back on his tail.

"Princess Marcooo…"

Marco replied with a lance of lightning, his arm spasms as the arcs did as much damage to the hybrid as it did to him.  
Eclipsa came into view and he quickly called upon the Elementals in rapid succession to defend himself,

GNOME + IGNIS  
LAVA PLUME!

The searing blast radius Marco made forced Eclipsa to flee as the very air ignited and burned, he felt his tongue burnt all over. Meteora recovered and leapt at him, clawing for his face,

UNDINE + IGNIS  
BOILING ERUPTION!

Marco's lips burned as he doused the hybrid with boiling water, leaving her rolling on the ground. The Dark Knight groaned feeling his body racked with pain, he dragged himself forward even when Eclipsa reared her ugly head again.

Marco let her get closer, this time he was going to get her. He bit hard on his redden lips as Eclipsa struck him with her paralyzing spikes again, in his last ditch effort he spun himself as Eclipsa was literally nose-to-nose with him.

JEWEL!  
CRYSTAL CHRYSALIS!

Eclipsa lunged just as crystals exploded underneath floorboards and crystalize her, a fingernail pressed against Marco's heart.  
The Dark Knight shakily sighed, _that was too close…_

He grimace ready to flood his system again with Hallow to break free

He spurt out blood from his mouth and nose, his head ringing before his ears began to bleed too. Marco was rigid despite having no strength to remain upright, his body immobilized, he blinked furiously as blood began to drip from his eyes too, _did I…use too much…?_

His eyes were drawn down to the fingernail, his heart pumped even harder as a sickly black bruise began to spread from the nail. His eyes looked at the queen and she was smiling at him, haughtily.

Meteora got to her feet, wicking her hair of the water before she ran a fingernail on the crystal, she twisted it painfully making an inconceivable high sharp pitch akin to a dinner plate being grounded with a metal spoon, nails scrapping on a blackboard.

The crystal cracked and shattered, Eclipsa smirked to herself dusting the shards,

 **"Nice try, boy. Now, die."**

Eclipsa gave a careless gesture.

 **BUTTERFLY KNIFE**

Marco felt as if his insides were stuck with a searing blade, unable to move and even cry out at the dark magic assault. But he refused to give the two Butterflys the satisfaction of him weeping at their torture.

Even as the dark magic began to encroach all over him, snuffing out the sight of them and leaving him in darkness…

* * *

Marco could feel his feeble pulse, desperately thrumming as more and more dark magic invaded his being, the Elementals could easily escape however they were resolute to stand by him.

 _"…you have to leave or you'll be in their clutches…"_

 _Marco fight back already!  
_ _You've dealt with worse, c'mon!  
_ _This is not a warrior's death!_

 _[…] **[Marco…]**_

 _"Seraph…I just want you to know: you're a bitch. Keep me in the dark, that's fine, but your Sisters have a right to know who 'Marcus' is. Whatever circumstance prevents you from telling them, you're just hurting them and I can tell, you're hurting yourself too. Be honest with them and yourself."_

 _[You're going to spend your last moments berating me? Hmph, I expected begging.]_

 _"You're right, I should be begging for your Light to overcome Eclipsa's dark magic. But you're not the only one whom I can ask for power beyond reckoning…"_

 _[Hmph, well, go on. Destroy yourself.]_

The Elementals were startled at the callous answer.

Marco sighed as he turned his attention to the other guests he had.

 **Nuh-uh, I may be powerful Marco, but Eclipsa made me, no way I'll be helpful.  
** _"You've never been helpful ever, Monster Arm."_  
 ** _Tch, touchy._**

Marco looked past the Elementals, Ignis looked at him sorrowfully as most of them, Seraph glared at him.

 _/Hm? Are you sure, Marco? Using Seraph would be a lot less stressful on you, I might just kill you~/_

 _"I have full faith you won't."_

 _/Ah, this is what you call an 'idiot'~! Fine, let's play, and you don't be shy, join in too, Sisters!/_

Marco felt Chronos channel an iota of her essences, her powers instantly flooding him, the Elementals watched fearfully as Marco tried to harness the minuscule fraction of power Chronos lent him.

Chronos leaned towards Seraph,

 _/You know~ Marco's not going to last very long with my powers, he'll drop dead right after his first blade stroke but then again most of this world would be destroyed. Why don't you help him, little_ Seraph _?/_

 _[...]_

 _/Mhmmm, all this pouting, over one single soul? That's not like you, Seraph, then again you want to see him again; even for a moment, right?/_

Seraph watched as Chronos's powers transformed Marco, baring his teeth as the power coursed rapidly and painfully through him, her sisters crowding around him, helpless. She closed her eyes at the scene, a familiar scene from the past and she fought with herself for what felt like an eternity…

 _-it means Light, I think you embody everything about it_ [Starlight] _._

Seraph drove a hand into her heart and pulled out a pearl of light and threw it into Marco, he gasped as the light poured into him, the Elementals looked at her surprised, she glared at them.

 _[Well? On your feet, Dark Knight!]_

* * *

Eclipsa looked at her handiwork, Marco completely enveloped in dark magic, coated over and over again, the sword was untouched but that didn't matter.

 **"I win."**

Eclipsa and Meteora laughed at the sight of Marco.  
Completely saturated by dark magic, imprisoned inside his own body, he might as well be a statue.

"Let's put him on the foyer!"

They laughed again.  
They stopped when they heard a familiar voice singing from somewhere in the fortress,

 _I'm at war with the world_  
 _'cause I ain't never gonna sell my soul_  
 _I've already made up my mind_  
 _No matter what I can't be bought or sold_

"Now, let's kill that stupid song bird…"

Eclipsa glared at the song before looking back at Marco before the two leapt back as the dark magic began to crackle with a bright light.

"Impossible!"

 _When my faith is getting weak_  
 _And I feel like giving in_  
 _You breathe into me again_  
 _I'm awake_  
 _I'm alive_

Eclipsa wasted no time and hurled dark bolts into Marco, but it instead bounced and exploded elsewhere. Meteora let out a gout of flames and it did nothing as well to the still Marco.

The light grew brighter and brighter, Eclipsa's eyes burned at the sight as Marco seemingly overcome her magic. The two tore wooden planks and threw furniture upon Marco but nothing seemed to stop the progress of light, even as the two heckled him with more fire, more dark bolts, more bleeding dark magic, Marco began to shine, he was nearly free of the queen's magic.

Eclipsa threw a bolt behind her hoping to stop the music.

 _Now I know what I believe inside_  
 _Now it's my time_  
 _I'll do what I want 'cause this is my life_  
 _Here! [Right here!]_  
 _Right now! [Right now!]_

"NO!"

The queen leapt and dug her talons into the Dark Knight but instead she screamed and scamper away, her hands burnt.

Marco's eyes snapped open.

It bore into the two.

 _I'll stand my ground_  
 _And never back down_  
 _I know what I believe inside_  
 _I'm awake and I'm alive!_

The crescendo rang through the fortress and Marco sent a massive golden shockwave blasting the two back into the railings, they shook their heads and blinked to rid themselves of the blur.

"How?! How did you survive—!"  
 **"What are you, Marco…? Where did you get this power?"**

The two Butterflys stared as the golden light faded into a pearl and rested in Marco's heart, his Roman Numeral One shining just as bright before a red hoodie materialized itself over him along with some bits of armor.

Marco looked at them before taking the Traitor's Sword and looked at his reflection, he smirked.

"Ah, now I can use the Elementals without hurting myself, my body is well adjusted for combat and I don't think the Concepts would be a problem either. Now…are you ready to fight a real Dark Knight?"

His voice deeper and more mature, his hair longer but neatly combed to the side, his strong jawline clean, his scar more pronounced and the way the hoodie stretched over his bodice, the two could have sworn his abs would have torn through the fabric, Marco Diaz looked every bit of the word 'sensual' and he was only 33 years old.

Despite his playful words, his brown eyes were stone cold.

The two Butterflys felt the entire fortress shake as Marco spoke,

Moku + Ignis + Gnome + Undine + Automata + Hanabi + Olive  
GRAND IMPERIAL FORTRESS!

The entire fortress began to change, the Butterflys could see it take a more durable and classical look akin to what they were used to.

Marco smiled before looking at himself, "I might as well look the part."

Seraph + Automata + Hallow  
DIVINE UMBRA ARMOR

Eclipsa and Meteora could only watched in fascinated horror as two indescribably beautiful women appeared slung on Marco's shoulders: one in flowing white robes and the other in black, each one had wings matching their robes and covered Marco and themselves brief before their wings swept out showering them in black and white feathers.

Marco was once again in ornate obsidian armor; he spun his sword and leveled it at them.

"Prepare yourselves…you face Mewni's Strongest Dark Knight."

 **XxXxXxXxX**

* * *

 **Part I**

Yeah, this fight scene is long. So long in fact that I thought I might have to skip updating in April.  
...but I couldn't make you wait that long so you're getting one this month. Honestly, I've been so busy I couldn't even finish before Season 3 ended. That finale ruined me.

Okay first,

Songs in order of appearance:

Guns N' Roses - Welcome to the Jungle  
Fire Emblem Fates - Lost in Thoughts All Alone -Nohr-  
Skillet- Awake and Alive

*And this may or may not apply to you but earlier there was a mismatch for the songs, I finished 3 in the morning and was dead tired, my grammar is already a crapshoot so forgive me when things slip past me. Mistakes/shit happens.*

The bout is just gonna get even more intense from this point forth, Marco not only has Elementals inside of him but Concepts such as Chronos [Time] and Musica [Music, and they are just as powerful as the Elementals if not more so. One of which is aging Marco to his prime combat age and physique, so he can tolerate the burdens of the Elementals and battle to his fullest. Prima/Prime holds all sorts of goodies and this is just the tip of the iceberg.

Ignis [Fire] Undine [Water] Gnome [Earth] Sylph [Wind]  
Seraph [Light] Hallow [Dark]  
Automata [Metal] Raigu [Lightning]  
Moku [Wood] Olive [Oil] Jewel [Crystal] Hanabi [Gunpowder] Yuki [Ice]

Also to get this across, Gnome's freak out is based on actual environmental damage, land = sea air fire are the easiest visually representation of nature in peril. For Gnome seeing a patch of land to never flourish because of Eclipsa's dark magic is tantamount to someone straight up killing a child. So she was understandably enraged, when Elementals are pushed far enough they can enter their Primal Nature Form [when mother nature's at her worst: Earthquakes, Floods, Tornadoes, Wildfires, etc]. Elementals used to be calamities before ***spoilers*** that's why when Gnome got beyond angry she reverted into a thousand-headed earth dragon.

Okay with sooo many Elementals, Marco has three main way of using them other than stand alone and they are as followed:

 **Transmute/Fusion** : Undine + Slyph = Ice  
Purposely making a new element

 **Augmentation** : Undine + Gnome =/= Wood  
Using two or more elements without mixing them.  
Mud is considered an Augmentation rather than it's own Element.

 **Amplification** : Undine + Hallow/Seraph  
Using one element to boost another element's potency

Some Elementals can be made by mixing the four base Elements however some are an extreme or subset of said Element i.e. Earth [Metal Crystal Gems].

I also teased just a bit more of Seraph's past, something I will fully explore in future chapters, especially Marcus [lore damnit!].  
Things are righteously heating up and I can't wait to show you Part II.  
And I can't wait to hear from all you avid readers. Also, I haven't forgotten to make those shout outs, Part II will have them since Marco still hasn't shown his full hand, Elementals + Concepts + who knows what else.

Le Ciao,  
I AM NRG

 **END OF TRANSMISSION**


	13. Chapter 13

.  
Disclaimer: the finale.

 **Chapter 12**

 **M** arco **G** ear **S** olid:  
Swords of Liberty

 **XxXxXxXxX**

* * *

 **"Is this the power of your bloodline, Dark Knight?"**  
 ** _Hell naw, babe, Marco just achieved Ultra Instincts bwahahaha!  
_** "…"

Eclipsa raise her hand

The Dark Knight immediately swung his sword effortlessly and a massive sword arc came screaming at the two forcing them to leap over it, their wings keeping them aloft. Marco thrust a claw hand at them and they felt the air around them suddenly constrict and he brought his fist down and so did they into the hard marble flooring.

Eclipsa coughed while Meteora grasp her head, stopping it from ringing.

Marco smirked as the elements danced in his open hand:  
Fire. Water. Air. Earth.

"Check it out, I can do it with one hand."

FORCE OF NATURE!

Eclipsa shot her hand up,  
 **BITTER ROGUE!**

Marco laughed as he used the Traitor's Sword and sends a blazing arc at the dark magic beam nullifying it, his call out a feint to draw out Eclipsa and blasted her.

Eclipsa screeched as the twisting gold beam paused as she tried to keep it at bay with her defiled Butterfly powers. Meteora leapt over her mother and the beam and readied to blast Marco with her six arms and the eyes on her wings glowing ominously.

 **HIENOUS BARRAGE!**

Marco swung the Traitor's Sword overhead swatting the blast apart before thrusting the sword at Meteora and a lance of lightning striking her through the ceiling into the room above.

Marco winced when the beam exploded and Eclipsa flying out of the smoking crater it left, dark magic contamination spreading into her shoulders. She pushed herself up as Marco walked casually closer to the down queen,

"Beating you two up—"  
 **"Who says you're beating us?"**

Eclipsa suddenly stood up and rammed a fistful of dark magic into Marco's chest, the resounding blast shook the newly built fortress from mortar to window, the glass jittering.

The queen looked smug for a moment, she could see the exit blast marring the far wall with soot and bits of metal.  
She blasted clean through the Dark Knight.

"Eclipsa…I'm not impressed."

She looked at the dark knight startled before he stepped back and fell into the marble floor, shattering as if made of glass.

Eclipsa stared at it for a moment before she looked around, the entire fortress had finished upgrading itself. She looked around and saw tall marble pillars with matching archways, an expansive crimson carpet with golden line edges with decorative patterns covered majority of the marble flooring, the windows tall but reasonably narrow to allow what little light in, the ceiling hand painted depicting scenes of battle she was not familiar with and the walls were painted a lovely shade of cream with tapestries here and there of exquisite patterns.

Eclipsa nodded at the sight taking in the craftsmanship, she paused when furniture began to make themselves seemingly out of thin air and land in places around her. She ran her hand on a luxurious wooden chair, feeling the smoothness and sturdiness before she saw the walls make themselves portraits and such.

She glanced upwards hearing a ruckus, she sighed hoping Meteora wasn't doing anything vandalistic but the sound of things breaking she didn't keep her hopes up.

She casually walked through the hallways, the air crisp and refreshing despite the windows being closed, it wasn't at all stuffy. Eclipsa reverted back to her normal state and browsed through the fortress Marco instantly prompted up.

She skipped through the halls opening magnificent doors and glanced inside before moving into the next one:

Parlor.  
Lesser Hall.  
Great Hall.  
Chapel.  
Armory.  
Living Quarters.  
Recreation Room.  
Man cave.  
Study.  
A room filled with anime swag.  
Kitchen.

It was fully furnished from pots to utensils, furniture and every cook's comfort and completely spotless of dust, but Eclipsa didn't care about that and made a beeline for what she assumed was the pantry and opened it and took some Snookers bars and began to eat it, _need to get some of my magic back._

Eclipsa glanced up again when she heard her daughter angrily yelling, she sighed and opened the rest of the candy bars and ate it, tossing the wrappers to the floor and leaving the kitchen.

She followed the yelling, she walked out to the courtyard where it was big enough to host a football game, it had wonderfully manicured hedges and even a small garden growing vegetables and wild greens, a little brook running through a section of it.

Eclipsa looked around seeing the fortress many times tall and just as magnificent outside as it was inside. She made her way into the Inner Ward and looked around curiously, seeing extravagant portraits of Marco.

She frowned seeing scenes before her:

Marco fighting alongside an army.  
A man with a skull mask with a pair of pistols. Bloody.  
A red hooded figure holding a flaming sword.  
Marco in front of what looked like three foreboding knights.  
Marco holding his hand out to someone.  
A Dark Knight fighting a massive dragon.

"What an…active imagination you have, Marco." Eclipsa ruefully chuckled at the sights and feats before her, "I doubt you tangled with a dragon that size and lived."

She looked at the richly decorated and furnished room and saw a stairway leading upwards, she smirked and decided to see where it led. Halfway across the room, something materialized: mud people.

Eclipsa paused as each one looked the same but it weren't Marco: it was female.

"And who…are you?"

She grinned before she dipped her hand down into the flooring and produced an electric guitar as did her others pulling out more instruments. The queen's eyes narrowed as she recognized the mud girl,

 _/I heard you didn't like my singing…you just don't appreciate fine art and great music./_  
"Yes, I suppose I don't." Eclipsa replied drily before she gestured to the stairway, "Marco's up there, I assume?"  
 _/You assume right. Why don't you give the Dark Knight an audience in the Throne Room?/_

Eclipsa laughed at the place he waited but still walked up the flight without a backward glance at Musica. The Concept shrugged before she began to strum as did her others as the song reached Eclipsa regardless of distance,

 _Walk away, walk away, you made an enemy_

 _Deep inside realize never want to be your enemy  
Change me, rearrange me, make me your enemy (Yeah)  
Deep inside realize never want to be your enemy (Walk away from)  
Change me, rearrange me, make me your enemy (Enemy, yeah)  
Deep inside realize never want to be your enemy (Walk away from)  
Change me, rearrange me, make me your enemy, your enemy _

Eclipsa walked into the room, lavished from top to bottom in rich red velvet, the same windows with curtains of red notes, the floor made with stones she could not decipher, the walls littered with more portraits, trophies and loot Marco no doubt obtain throughout his life with suits of armor alongside them, in the middle was a richly ornate comfy black throne, studded with various precious metals and jewels with exotic furs and pelts thrown upon it.

Marco sat on it with one leg on the armrest, slouching with one arm behind the seat and the Traitor's Sword carelessly lying across his lap.  
A crown seated upside on his helm.

Eclipsa smiled before she curtseys before the comfortable Dark Knight before she threw her head back, laughing at him.

"Goodness, Marco, you must find that stuffy throne quite comfortable! Did I make you wait long?"

"Hardly, I saw you raid my kitchen. You could have asked for a Snookers Bar."

Eclipsa mockingly walked to the side, taking fake interest in some of his fixtures and glancing at a long table in the corner.

"…where did you get these powers, Marco? Never before have I've seen someone make the elements bend to their will sooo… _easily_. And this thing about making yourself older…and that light you carry…care to tell me?"

Marco laughed, "Yes, well, Eclipsa I got it from none-of-yo-business-Mart, just know I can use it and I will thrash you with it until you can be reasoned with."

Eclipsa mused over the threat.  
It had a lot more bite than before.

"Cracking a 'whip' over and over again will not make me heel to you, Dark Knight. No matter how much you try, you won't break this Queen."

Marco got off the throne and ran a hand across the blade, "Guess I'll 'whip' until you do then."

Eclipsa jut out a hip, "Is this how you deal with your problems, boy? Swing your sword and hope it goes away?"

"Well, with this sword, yeah I can pretty much do that." Marco chuckled, "Besides, I tried to talk and I got a dark bolt thrown to my face. You should follow your own advice some time, Eclipsa, square up."

"Hmph. So much for talking."

The two faced off.  
Magic versus Might.

Marco leapt at her, the sword engulfed in flames as he brought it thundering down on the queen who conjure up a massive hand of dark magic to catch the dark knight. He grinned widely at her as the hand faded soon as it touched him, not even stalling him much to Eclipsa's surprise.

The queen made herself a dark magic blade and met the steel only for it to shatter like glass, Marco rammed her with his pauldrons sending her flying across the room and skidding on the table. She pushed herself up and tried to bind Marco with magic only to have him rebuff through the magical assault and rushed her.

 _Can't hit him with magic eh? Fine, I'll just hit him with everything else!_

Eclipsa raised her hands as many disembodied dark magic hands grabbed pieces of furniture and smashed themselves over the Dark Knight. He easily cleaved through them and outright dodged them, Eclipsa lifted the table to hit him but he made a clawing gesture and it froze in the air.

He brought his hand down and the table nearly flattens the queen if not for a dome that saved her.

She bared her teeth as the table continued to pressure her as Marco came closer, the sword alight with fire. Eclipsa cried out as the dome flashed purple and outwardly expand breaking the table apart allowing her move just in time as Marco cleaved through the dome with ease.

Eclipsa didn't have time for respite as Marco spun, sending a massive blazing arc at her. She made a sweeping crescent motion and sent her own dark arc exploding it in a display of power.

Marco held up his sword looking at it before cocking his arm and chucking it directly at her, Eclipsa on instinct leapt to the side what happened next frighten her.

The blade was halfway across the room before Marco seemingly flash step to it, caught the Traitor's Sword and threw it again at her in a single fluid motion. Eclipsa put up a barrier but tip of blade shatter it apart, the legendary sword inches away from impaling her.

"MOTHER!"

Eclipsa grunted as Meteora burst through the window and tackled her mother down, the blade shearing off clumps of her long bushy hair and lodged itself into the wall. Panting, Eclipsa was helped up by her daughter and stared at the menacing Dark Knight, not ever perturbed by the sudden appearance of Meteora.

Marco recalled his sword and leveled it again, Eclipsa let a swirl of dark magic entangle her, the dark knight broke form and laughed at the sight.

"More magic wont slow me down."  
"I'm not going to use it on you." The queen said coldly, she glanced at Meteora before poking her on the forehead, the hybrid blinked feeling something unlock within her.

"Let's see how you do against us in our most powerful."

"Let's see…I spanked your daughter in her Monster and Butterfly Forms, overwhelm you in your base and held my own in your…True Butterfly Form. What more can you surprise me with?" Marco inquired resting the sword on his shoulder as he shrugged off the withering look from the two.

"This Marco…" Eclipsa grunted as the dark magic began to swirl more heavily around her, Marco lifted to throw the sword before he sighed and put it back down, "I know if the roles were reversed I would never get this courtesy but…oh well. I won't lie, I am curious."

 ** _Crossing my tentacles it's slutty._**

Marco ignored the input of the disease as the swirls condensed and suddenly struck Eclipsa and began to spread thickly over her as if like tar. Meteora started to turn feral, her dress fabric stretching but her skin reddens and became scaly and red, it looked like she was turning into her Monster Form.

Marco turned his attention back to Eclipsa and he had to admit, he was impressed as the magic swirls eased off.

She wore an elegant dress of fierce red and gold only to have chainmail and plate armor pulled over it, her purple-black arms were now a tar black before it was fitted with slender plates studded with spikes. Her hair was neatly braided before a dark tiara was made and sat securely on her head. She looked at Marco with disdain once her magic finished being weaponize for her. Even her make up game was on fleek, except for what looked like runny mascara cascading down her pale face.

 ** _Fuck yeah, blowjob mascara! Told ya, it'd be slutty!_**

"Neat." Marco said through gritted teeth.

Eclipsa held out a hand and made herself a dark magic sword, Meteora didn't seem at all different and readied to fight.

 **Queen of Darkness Mode**

Marco threw the sword through the wall, the sword easily cleaving through the wall and anything else in its way. The moment it left his hand, Marco launched himself at the two, Eclipsa skillfully hacked at his helm while Meteora tackled his midsection.

The Dark Knight buckled but instead of falling backwards, he fell to his knees missing the cut from Eclipsa and grounding Meteora. The hybrid tried to scramble out of the new position but Marco dropped a hammer fist in between her shoulder blades and she shrieked when it felt like bones gave way to the metal gauntlet.

Eclipsa savagely retaliated with shoving the blade into Marco's eye slits, but the Dark Knight grabbed her by the wrist, missing the lethal thrust before everything around her screamed.

Eclipsa grunted landing on stone floor, Meteora denting a countertop as she fell from the ceiling, Marco landing neatly on the ground. The Traitor's Sword was halfway through the ceiling.

The queen growled and held both hands forward,

 **NIGHTMARE SWARM!**

Marco responded with stone and air quickly mixing from the floor and surrounding before fire sparked and turn the mixture into a transparent orb. The Dark Knight smashed it to bits before roaring,

Flask + Sylph  
Shredding Tempest!

Eclipsa threw up a barrier as the whirlwind of broken glass tore through her spell and would have made her into mincemeat if not for her shield. Marco raised his arm to recall his sword only to be tackled onto the table by Meteora,

"STAY AWAY FROM MY MOTHER!"

Marco's helm disappeared underneath Meteora's massive maw, she had grown and nearly ripped her clothes, more and more of her skin red and scaly. She gnawed on the dark metal before Marco teleported above her to his sword and elbow bomb her into the table nearly breaking the legs.

Marco slid up and hammer fist the hybrid causing her to spit blood, Eclipsa darted forward and pulled her daughter from harm and at the same time yanking the Dark Knight's arm over, flipping and getting him on the table instead. A massive dark magic hand used a chair to hold him in place as Eclipsa used another hand and grabbed another chair and smashed it over Marco's head.

Meteora recovered and leapt to the ceiling and ripped off a support beam and smashed that sucker over the bastard.  
The table gave up at that point; it and Marco were flatten to the ground.

Eclipsa took no chances and made herself a concentrated dark bolt and flung it to blow Marco's head off.

Automata + Seraph + Hallow  
Backfire Mirror!

Eclipsa screamed when a reflective mirror materialized between the bolt and Marco, bouncing it back to the caster, the explosion rocking the kitchen. Marco broke free and throttled the two of them, slamming Meteora into the counter and Eclipsa into the sink. Meteora tried to attack but the countertop grew a pair of womanly arms and held her down.

Marco forced Eclipsa further into the sink before smacking the faucet and the torrent of water came down over Eclipsa's face.

 _Die motherfucker die motherfucker die!_

"Repent!" Marco yelled, Eclipsa randomly punched him, he held her under again, "Drown bitch!"

 _Die motherfucker die motherfucker die!_

Marco felt claws wrap around his neck and he was thrown across the kitchen, wrecking the wall cabinets and the teapots, teacups and tins within. Meteora pulled her mother out of the sink before she let out a gout of fire at him, Marco gathered the elements into his hands,

Undine + Sylph + Raigu  
Storm Glaive!

Electrified water spun through the air and cleaved through the fire and shocked the hybrid, Marco launched himself and grabbed the stunned Meteora before throwing her across the room. Not a moment later he was there and opened the pantry door and shoved her head in the doorway and proceeded to slam it over her head repeatedly.

 _Die motherfucker die motherfucker die!_

Meteora fought against the dark knight's grasp, spewing fire into the pantry during her struggle before Marco was pulled away by Eclipsa and dark bolt exploding in his face. Hardly fazed, Marco deflected the next bolt by conjuring up a ceramic blade courtesy of Gnome, Undine and Ignis before he threw it at her. She sidestep only to have Marco catch her suddenly before thrown into the dented countertop, she pushed herself up but Marco grabbed one arm and put it behind her back and pushed upwards, she shrieked.

 _Die motherfucker die motherfucker die!_

Marco leaned to the side to avoid Meteora's attack from behind before jabbing her with lightning, dazing her enough for him to grab and smash her head on the countertop.  
Eclipsa stared wide eye at her daughter unconscious from the Dark Knight.

"YOU'VE GONE FAR ENOUGH, BOY!"

Marco was flung back by a dark magic bubble, Eclipsa rounded to him, eyes blazing and cheek marks aglow.

 **UNDERWORLD SERPENT!**

Marco braced himself for a frontal attack only to have a massive snake burst underneath him, chomping his torso and rammed him through the ceiling and successive floors. He called the Traitor's Sword to his free arm and drove it deep into it's flesh, it cried in the ugliest volumes, even Eclipsa blinked in confusion as the snake let him go and sunk down the hole it came, she looked at him.

"You…killed my spell?"

Marco glared from above, wings of black gold and white gold held him aloft before he gathered the elements,

Gnome + Ignis + Hallow  
Magma Shot: Full Automatic!

Eclipsa gasped as a stream of lava bullets rained from above, she grabbed Meteora before bursting through the door as the room was ignited in flames.

She carried her daughter upon a dark magic hand through the fortress before she came to the courtyard and pulled some water from the garden and made her daughter sip the clean liquid mixed with her magic. She glanced up and saw Marco there, he lifted his sword and Eclipsa made herself a bolt, no matter how useless her magic was against the blasted sword she would use all her magic to divert the blade from ever making

Aaand the boy just threw his sword into the night sky, it winked out of sight, _…is he daft?_

Marco then powered dived.

 _Oh, he is definitely daft._

Eclipsa made herself a bow and pointed it at Marco, the bow made itself a bone arrow before she let it go with a mighty thwack!

Marco frowned, unable to see what was let loose, he quickly unfurled his wings as the singular arrow suddenly made itself into a thousand.

 **SKELETAL SPLINTER!**

Seraph + Automata  
Photon Needles!

A thousand arrows versus a thousand needles of light lit up the night sky in a radiant explosion, Eclipsa notched herself another arrow and let it loose again, trying to buy herself time while Marco was out of reach.

Again and again, arrows were flung and again the explosions were the result.

Marco frowned seeing this before he called upon more of the elementals as he dived for the fortress, Eclipsa fired more arrows intent to keep him away. Enough arrows and even his armor would fail to keep him safe.

Ignis + Seraph + Olive + Hanabi  
Sunflower Volley!

Yuki + Undine + Sylph  
Hail Hammer!

Gnome + Hallow + Automata  
Orbital Bombardment!

 _Marco, are you crazy!? This is too much!  
"I can't use Iron Skin since Automata is fueling Meteor Crash, I need to survive the volleys incase the armor gives!"  
Jewel, lend him your Diamond Skin!  
[Just letting you know, Marco that diamonds can still be shattered.]  
"Thanks for the vote of confidence."_

Eclipsa watched Marco's attacks collide with her own resulting in a show of explosions, she fired again before Marco burst forth and took the arrow straight on. She bared her teeth and fired again, this time the arrow would be a lot more potent, fueled with the emotions of the caster,

ARROW OF THE BETRAYAL!

Marco felt the darken arrowhead score his armor and immediately he realized it was a mental attack, Eclipsa smirked seeing the dark knight suddenly off balanced.  
It felt as if he was in a kaleidoscope of vivid pictures and livid emotions, _so…Eclipsa can still mentally assault her foes, pity she can't use this to enter my mind just befuddle it._

 _/Allow me to handle this./_

Eclipsa expected Marco to land face first but when he landed calmly to the ground, Eclipsa to unfurl her Butterfly Wings whilst carrying Meteora away, in disbelief and terror. Marco wasted no time making himself a ceramic sword and leapt at the queen trading blows in midair with her, she spun away before Marco could overwhelm her.

Meteora stirred and saw Marco leveling his sword at them from the ground, before he planted it down on the fallen bow, "Enough of this already!"

Yuki!  
Winter Spine!

The two Butterflys watched as the ground grew white and cold with frost before ice spikes tried to spear them.

Yuki + Hallow + Gnome  
Tundra Terrors!

Meteora broke free of her mother as she pummeled a polar bear made of ice, Eclipsa dealing with owls and ravens in the air. Marco pulled the sword free and ran after Meteora as she threw the polar bear aside and made a beeline for Marco, snow hares, wolves, foxes and a caribou stampeded for her.

She rammed through them before Marco came down on her, she ducked but Marco instead willed the ice to make itself a slide and he managed to get back and club her. Eclipsa broke free of the flock and threw dark bolts at him, he skillfully dodged it before unleashing a many chirping birds at the queen,

Raigu + Slyph  
Sparrow Shock!

Eclipsa unleashed her Nightmare Swarm to contest them, leaving Marco and her glaring at one another. Somewhere in the background, a snow hare was kicking Meteora.

"How far will you take this farce? Why don't you fight like you mean it, Marco, I know you're powerful now. More than you let on, so why don't you end this fight and force me to do your bidding?"

"…you're right, I am a lot stronger now, it wouldn't take much from me to pummel the two of you into the ground…but I rather you just cooperate, Eclipsa like I asked from the beginning. But you are so—"

"Stubborn? Unbending? Uncooperative? Marco, you stupid boy, selfish and sooo full of yourself…you want me to do as you say, when you say it, because you say it? Do your bidding? You think me dumb? Who are you to command me? Who are you to tell me any better?"

"—!"

"SHUT UP." Eclipsa spat coldly, Marco stopped, "If you did the same to the Mewni kingdoms they would laugh at you, scorn you, belittle and no one will heed your words…and if you force your hand they would look upon you disdainfully. You are not Mewman. You are not royalty. You are an outsider. Do not meddle in our affairs."

"…even so, I will try. I refuse to do nothing."  
"And if we not heed it?"

Marco stared at her, "Then I will let Mewni die."

"That's cold. Even for a Dark Knight. Hmph, well, defeat us and I will consider your terms, boy." Eclipsa taunted.

"I—!"

Eclipsa pointed at him and he sidestep, dodging a dark bolt, he blinked before glancing behind him and seeing Meteora struck.

"Heh. That look in your face…for a moment you thought I would…it really shows your overconfidence and arrogance boy. You won't be defeating us. Not now anyways." Eclipsa smiled as Meteora began to change, Marco felt the sudden increase in power for the hybrid and quickly harness some of the Elementals and threw it at the hybrid.

Hanabi + Seraph + Ignis  
HOLY HAND GRENADE OF ANTIOCH!

The hybrid yelled as a flash of iridescent light launched her through the walls of the fortress.

"Meteora!"  
"Ughhhh…mother?"  
"Don't come back inside!"

Marco faced Eclipsa, "Whatever you did to Meteora, it won't do her any good."

"I wouldn't be so sure about that, she'll be a behemoth…just like her father." Eclipsa smiled dreamily, Marco rolled his eyes, "And she'll crush this puny empty fortress of yours."

"Empty? This place isn't empty in the slightest." Marco responded genuinely confused, "You didn't see the exterior of this fortress? It's manned with cannons, ballistae and the like with hundreds of mudmen armed to the teeth. Meteora isn't getting in here."

Eclipsa paused before she darted for the hole in the wall but Marco merely waved a hand and walls repaired themselves. Eclipsa blasted the walls to no avail; she turned to the Dark Knight who began to melt the frost, "Boy, you think I'm stuck here with _you_ …you're stuck here with _me_."

Marco shrugged before launching himself at the queen.

* * *

Meteora stared at the vast size of the fortress; she looked at the ramparts, seeing all she had done become undone. What's more was the fact it had armaments now with mudmen carrying a variety of weapons and manning siege weapons.

They would prove a mild distraction.

She grinned feral as her mother's magic began to fuel her catalyst into her full heritage, her true form, no doubt she could do it when she practice but that would be for a later time. Now it was time to let the entire universe know her splendor.

 **MONSTER BUTTERFLY HYBRID FORM: METEORA BUTTERFLY**

She roared at the top of her lungs as she grew larger and larger, her clothes were tatters now but that meant little as her scaly red skin stretched all over her, her tail swinging as thick as a tree trunk, her paws larger enough to provide shade to a town, her second pair of eyes peered at the ramparts as she licked her lips at the destruction she would cause, the delight of watching this fortress fall to her immense strength. She winced when her wings tore open her back and flapped, sending howling winds across the lands and fortress, she laughed at the pain and delight as her powers felt fit to bursting.

"Now, Princess Marco…your little fortress will fall!" she inhaled causing the fortress to tremble some before she spewed her acrid purple fire over the fortress. The mudmen harden at the intense heat and broke apart, causing the massive hybrid to laugh before she stomped on the ground sending tremors through the fortress before she pulled a rock slab from the ground.

"This fortress is sooo tacky, let's fix that!"

She threw the slab and it broke apart one of the towers and some spires, she gave an ugly laugh at her attack and tore another slab from the ground, the mudmen that fell quickly reformat and manned the battlements aiming their weapons at the behemoth hybrid.

"Oh please as if I would be—!" Meteora held the slab like a shield when the cannons fired and the projectiles bore holes into the massive rock. The hybrid growled before she flung it before spewing fire, the mudmen aimed all the cannons at the slab and fired tearing it apart in midair.

The rush of fire came and the ballistician mudmen loaded their machine with a split-chain payload and fired.

The fire doused 3/4s of the missiles but those that survived split apart in midair revealing a chain between the two halves and tangled over Meteora. Enraged, Meteora tried to tear free but in the lapse the mudmen worked double time and began their counter-attack.

Cannons, ballista, catapults and the numerous mudmen carrying rifles and bows began to rain upon the behemoth as she tore through the chains, her wings flapped with titanic force driving the projectiles back to the fortress. Meteora grinned, feeling the sting of many small injuries before she breathed fire along with her gust scorching the fortress once again.

Meteora looked at her handiwork and destruction for a moment before a thought came to her mind, she unfurled her wings and the massive eyes shone, she looked at the scurrying mudmen,

 **HEINOUS NEEDLE SHOWER!**

The mudmen that wasn't in cover were struck with 10 foot long needles, Meteora laughed, clapping her hands and jumping for joy, "Yesss! Even my magic is enhanced! Oh, Mewni doesn't stand a chance now!"

 **HEINOUS HELLHOUNDS!**

Again magic conjured from the hybrid came and tore up the fortress defenders, the mudmen combat the massive purple dogs of war, however the vicious beasts proved too much for them.

Meteora stomp forward before driving her claw foot through the wall before grabbing the tallest tower and ripping it free and throwing it across the fortress, smashing brick and mortar.

 **HEINOUS HAMMER!**

Her fist glowed an ominous purple as she pummel everything she could reach.

"I AM UNSTOPPABLE! NO ONE CAN DEFEAT ME NOW! PRINCESS—" Meteora's declaration roar halted by a stray arrow from a mudman standing in the tower railing hitting her temple.

Meteora spat on the mudman and it fell and turned into paste on the ground.

"Fuckin' little…" Meteora muttered as she readied to burn the fortress inside out as she tore open a hole with her claws, she peered inside ready to unleash her flames

METEOR MORTAR!

Meteora found herself being uppercut by molten rock and sent tumbling backwards from the hit, stomping on the fortress before landing on her enormous back. Groaning and feeling her jaw sore, she rolled to her side before she screamed as molten slag struck her.

 _Get up you big oaf! I got a bone to pick with you and your bitch of a mother…_

Meteora shook at the words and lumbered to her feet, she frowned seeing floating women of fire, water, air and earth glaring at her.

"Harlots, the lot of you…" Meteora sneered before she breathed fire only to see the flaming one wave a hand and the fire died before reaching them. Frowning, Meteora tried to send gusts of wind at them only to have the windy one make a gesture and it died too.

Meteora leapt into the air and drove her feet down to send a devastating quake, only to have the ground grow spikes and she screamed as it drilled through her heavily padded feet.

Gnome wasn't finished as Meteora was knocked off her feet by a jutting wave of rocks bursting on the command of the earthen one and she was sent flying into the distance.

Meteora roared in frustration and pain as her injuries mended itself, she unfurled her wings and began to chant, the Elementals saw this and quickly began to raise a wall. The four massive wing eyes were pointed at the fortress as it was surrounded with a wall,

"Die! Die! DIEEE!"

 **HEXAGONAL HEINOUS BLAST!**

The four wing eyes and two hands of Meteora sent a beam of concentrated dark magic straight for the wall, the hybrid bared her teeth as massive explosion forced her back and the tremors made the entire ground wobble. She fanned the dust clouds and frowned disappointed seeing the walls destroyed but the fortress intact minus what she had already done.

Meteora growled and ran straight for the fortress, if magic wouldn't cut it then brute force would make it so. The Elementals looked at her for a moment before they dived back into the fortress leaving the defenses wide open, the hybrid didn't care if they were there or not, she would bulldoze her way through.

Rocks and debris were kicked up and Meteora braced herself to smash the fortress in two

The side exploded and she grunted as the missile struck her midsection and sent her tumbling backwards.

Marco stepped out of the hole, rolling his shoulder as he was missing some armor,  
"I'm not done with you!"

Meteora looked at him blurry before her midsection stirred and she looked down to see her mother was the missile from earlier. The hybrid picked up her mother and put her in her palm and stood up, the Dark Knight glared at the massive hybrid.

Meteora spotted Marco and without warning leapt and stomp the Dark Knight, he planted his hand to the ground and roared,

Gnome!  
Mighty Mountain!

Meteora flapped her wings frantically to avoid the sudden emergence of a mountain, Marco sat atop the summit, peering down on the two. The hybrid tried to close the distance, but the Elemental attacks he produced in rapid succession proved too much for her, especially with her mother unconscious and only using one hand.

Sylph + Hallow + Seraph  
Sylph Storm!

Ignis + Seraph  
Hallow Fire!

Seraph!  
Laser Show!

Hallow!  
Runic Ray!

Flask + Sylph + Hallow!  
Obsidian Shards!

Eclipsa woke herself amongst the commotion and struggled to her feet, she looked worse for wear after Marco's thrashing, she couldn't see the Dark Knight but spoke up all the same.

"You have…no chance now…Marco." Eclipsa panted, Meteora glared at him, her tainted magic beginning to swirl around the behemoth obscuring the land beneath her. Marco frowned, _yeah…that'll definitely break my armor…even Eclipsa managed to…after I pushed her far enough._

No subtly or finesse, Meteora merely opened her massive maw and spewed her acrid purple flames all over the mountain, turning it a cherry red, Marco leapt a moment before to avoid it. He grunted when a dark bolt struck him in midair before a shadow fell upon him, Meteora spun and her tree trunk tail smashed him into his own mountain despite the elemental blasts.

The Dark Knight was firmly pancaked into the rock face even after the tail retracted, he shook his head before he saw the dark magic cloud swirl into Meteora's palm, Eclipsa harnessing it, he felt the Elementals shriek and the Concepts raise a brow at the amassed power.

/That'll leave a mark./

Marco broke free but not before Eclipsa unleashed her wrath upon the mountain, it was a dark twisting spectral blast, the name lost over the screams of the magical build-up and the Dark Knight braced himself as the Elementals shielded him with their respective powers only it proved futile.

Marco felt his entire body racked with untold pain, every part of him howled in agony, feeling as if his very bones burn, crack and spike outwards, his blood hotter than molten lead, his head fit to bursting and his insides being cooked by the intense heat, his skin sticking to the ultra heated armor.  
All of this happened within a moment.

The fiery explosion sent him flying to the fortress, crashing through it and the mountain was leveled.

Eclipsa fell back to the palm as Meteora stared in disbelief at the raw magical power they both possessed with her mother channeling it.

"Kill…him…now…" Eclipsa whispered weakly.  
Meteora let out a torrent of fire over the fortress, setting it ablaze once again.

* * *

Marco pushed himself up, his helm peeling of his head as was the other armor pieces. The Elementals fussed over him and he quickly in short breaths, told them he was fine, just incredibly sore and hurt all over, this time one of the more conservative Elementals helping him along with the a two Concepts working in conjunction.

 _"I need to…end this fight…before I…"  
[…Marco, you're can't take another hit like that again.]  
"Yeah…my thoughts exactly…I thought the armor you gave me nullify magic…"_

 _[Hah, magic…if there's one thing I do not understand why something exist at all, it's magic…]  
"You said it was a bypass to your authority, to law of nature and to me, physics and reality bending it to your whim; a shortcut."  
[Hmph, so you do pay attention. Magic became present after…well, it existed before but never used so much, but after the universe being so hurt and left to lick it's wounds, magic flourish with abandon…of course when the universe was back on it's feet, things were different because magic became sooo…prominent. Technology and 'breakthroughs', as if it something new. It takes a tremendous amount of magic to harm you in the blessed armor, Eclipsa's own brand is tainted and mixed with very volatile essences makes for unpredictable results.]  
"Wait, so do you know where magic came from?"  
[If you're thinking it just burst from the ground like a wellspring, you could be right. I never cared to know where magic came from.]_

/While I do enjoy watching the two of you bond over things you mutually hate, why don't you entertain your guest?/

Marco froze as he was brought back to reality as Meteora continued to rampage without check. The Dark Knight steady himself, feeling the tremble of the fortress, he peered out from where he was: one of the towers it looked like.

He frowned seeing Meteora having a grand old time wrecking his fortress, he glanced upwards before shaking his head, _I was planning to threaten them with that, but it looks like I'm going to really have to use it on them._

 _[Yeah, stupid move Marco. Throw your own sword like that…] **[Lend him yours.]** […No.] _

_"Wait you have a sword? What for?"_

 ** _[It's a sword comparable to the Pendragon's Sword.]  
_** _"Oh, now I got to see this! You made it Seraph?"_

 _[…it's not mine, but I was asked to keep it safe. Besides, it your damn fault you threw your sword to the stars. Why should you get to use it?]  
"I don't want those two wreaking havoc any more than you do."_

 _[…]_ /You would prefer Marco uses us, Concepts to end this battle? It'll be a jolly good time! For all of us…/

Seraph felt the underlining threat from Chronos, the Concepts were extremely free spirited…they always have too much fun and stars in the heavens were known to wink out of existence.

 _[Fine. But under any circumstances: do not unsheathe it. The scabbard will serve you just fine.]_

Marco felt light pour out of his chest, gingerly he put his hand into the light and felt around.

 _[HEY!]_ "Sorry! Sorry. You're really soft."

Marco felt his cheeks redden before he grasp the sword hilt and pulled the sword free from his chest. The bright golden light completely shrouded the sword and lit the entire room, he squinted and could make out a vague shape of it.

"FOUND YOU!"

Marco held back a curse as the top of the tower was pulled away by a feral grinning Meteora, her eyes on him, the Dark Knight instinctively swung and Meteora grin was turned upside down when she was sent flying across the air, a massive golden sword arc clipping her.

Marco looked at the glowing sword, feeling the unrestrained thrumming of light and power, "…what? What is this sword?"

/That, Marco, is the Sword of Creation, the first weapon ever forged in the universe and Father to All Swords. No one knows where it came from but the last time it was unsheathed, well…/

"I'm thinking something bad." Marco was surprised the Concept was hesitant, feeling the warm golden light beneath his fingers.

 _[…]_  
/…well, that's a story for another time./

Marco leapt impossibly across the ruined fortress thanks to the Elementals, he shook his head in dismay as the once beautiful place was riddled with damages, fires and footprints. He quickly scaled the tallest tower, the one being where his Throne Room was and looked at the sword, "What can this sword do?"

 _[I would be out of breath if I were to tell you. For now, plunge it into the fortress and let my Sisters do the rest.]_

Marco didn't have time to contemplate Seraph's words when Meteora recovered and charged at him, ready to utterly ruin what was left standing of his home. Without ceremony, Marco slammed the sword deeply into the brick and mortar, Meteora roared while Eclipsa hovered over her daughter's shoulder, watching him.

/Let's get buck wild!/  
 _[Control yourselves!] **  
I need Megazord power NOW!**_

Marco clung to the sword when the entire fortress began to tremble, he watched fascinated and afraid as the place began to repair itself with it's fallen pieces and even modify bits of itself. Without warning the entire fortress seemingly lurched and pulled itself upwards, the sound of brick and timber whining and grinding got even Meteora to stop in her tracks once she realized something was amiss.

 ** _[Sister!]_** _[I suppose if this ends this farce!]_

Four massive wings of black and white sprout out of the fortress and flapped pulling the fortress ever higher, the towers moved as did the walls and battlements to form a humanoid shape.

GRAND IMPERIAL FORTRESS: ALEXANDER MODE!

 _Deck her!  
Wreck her shit!  
_/*bleep*/

Meteora and Eclipsa stared in disbelief of the fortress turned mecha before their very eyes, the fortress cocked its arm back, it was riddled with cannons and ballistae and fired upon them before socking Meteora into the ground.  
The queen leapt away just in time to avoid the same tragic fate.

The queen turned her head at Marco, sitting atop the fortress's head and fired a dark bolt volley at him and he responded with his own, one hand still on the sword hilt and he felt an insane amount of power funneled through him.

Hallow + Raigu  
Bitter Bolt!

He teeth chatter as the black lightning he conjured were several times bigger than the dark magic bolts it met and the result was hundreds of explosions with some stray bolts punching through.

Marco stared at the landscape on fire and riddled with craters from the aftermath.

/We can deal with the behemoth, play with the queen for a while~/  
"Will you be alright?"  
 _[There's plenty of pilots for the fortress, go on already. And take the sword with you, it already did its job.]_

Marco reluctantly pulled the sword free before Sylph carried him, gliding across the air to meet Eclipsa, the queen glared at his new sword before making herself one.

"Another one…"  
"One just good as the other!"

Marco brought the sword down and Eclipsa slashed across it.  
She pulled her hand back when the dark magic sword made contact with it before it was vaporized and nearly cut her hand off. Seeing the shock in Eclipsa, Marco shoved a palm at her,

Ignis + Sylph  
Blast Rupture!

Again Marco felt his body suddenly filled to the brim with unnatural power and it showed when the blast erupted from his hand was a hundred times bigger than last time.

Eclipsa didn't stand a chance.  
Nor did her barriers.

She screamed as the explosion rocketed her to the ground just as her daughter was back on her feet and contending with the fortress that heckled her with cannon fire and punching her with its oversized fists.

Marco fell to the ground as Eclipsa pulled herself up, unsure what just happened even as more concentrated dark magic tar covered her, "How…did you…"

Salt + Undine + Toxin  
Acid Brine!

Eclipsa leapt away from the melting liquid came at her like fire hose, she chucked dark bolts at him and he swung the sword, destroying them and at the same time golden arcs coming forth forcing Eclipsa to flee.

Olive + Ignis + Sylph  
Deep Fryer Spray!

Eclipsa cartwheel in midair to avoid the pressurized searing oil and flung a dark dagger at Marco, the glowing sword smashed it to bits before he blurred after her. The queen flew for the horizon, throwing exploding dark javelin behind her back hoping to slow Marco down.

Marco growled at the randomly thrown dark bolts before he felt his armor began to change,

 _Sylph, he'll never catch her like this, I'm going to close the distance!_

Before the Dark Knight could ask what Automata intended to do, the mended armor leapt off him as Sylph carried him. Before his eyes the armor began to stretch and pull itself into something new, the other Elementals lent their powers before Marco was shoved back into Automata's transformation: a Bugatti Veyron.

The gas pedal pushed itself and Marco instantly regretted getting into the car along with the Elementals who also screamed as the car not only outran Eclipsa but begun to spin and skid across the land.

 _Too much! TOO MUCH!_

 _Gnome!_

The Elemental willed the land to make itself a makeshift half pipe and curved the transformed Automata for the queen.

"What the hell happened!?"  
 _That sword! It must have amplified MEEE!_

 _I wonder if you know  
How they live in Tokyo  
If you see me then you mean it  
Then you know you have to go_

 _Fast and furious (Drift, drift, drift)_

Marco felt the entire car change itself to a Lykan Hypersport without the Metal Elemental's command as it drifted nearly faster than the half pipe was being constructed. Eclipsa saw the out of control car and tried to veer away but it came way to fast and struck her with the flat side of the car and sent her denting a nearby rock slab.

Marco grabbed the steer wheel before it changed again and the Ferrari F60 America spun out, the tires on fire before the door opened and Marco chucked out as the car burned itself out and sat upon a pool of melted tire.

 _I'm gonna puke…URGHHK!_

Marco laid on the ground and waited for the world to stop spinning before he got to his feet, he buckled when the fortress suplex Meteora then proceeded to rain cannon fire before putting her in an arm bar in the distance.

He looked over to where Eclipsa laid and walked there without Automata covering him, despite the warnings from the Elementals, _I hit Eclipsa pretty hard, I'm sure she's unconscious._

 _[And if she isn't.]  
I'll figure something out._

Marco looked at Eclipsa, the queen was face down; he looked at the slab and tried to gauge how big the dent was before discarding the idea. It didn't matter. Marco reached out before pausing, he lifted Eclipsa's arm with the tip of his boot and let go: it flopped to the ground.

"Shit. I must have—"  
"KILLED ME? THAT'S SOME CONFIDENCE YOU HAVE FOR YOURSELF!"

Marco brought the sword into guard but yelled instead when several dark hands grabbed his legs and yanked him down to his knees, dark magic spikes exploding all over his body, nearly dropping the Sword of Creation.

The hands picked up Eclipsa and she looked at him with a frigid glare, she looked terrible. Gnome snarled and tried to manifest but seemingly sensing the anger, she threw a spike into the ground and Gnome shrieked, "Trying to escape? Not going to happen boy. These spikes are chockfull of some of my most concentrated arcane— dark magic…all this power you have, no matter how many times I knock you down! You get up again. That simply won't do. Now, hold still while I dig out your heart."

Marco's eyes fell to the knife she fashioned, dark magic so dense it was a solid piece instead of tar or wisps.

She slashed him across the chest, ruining his hoodie, "Oops. My hand slip."  
The Dark Knight bared his teeth as she poked and drag the knife across him, even tapping the blade against his teeth before placing the blade over his heart.

Eclipsa smirked before she slapped him across the face, his head turned and unintentionally spewed fire as the queen laughed, "I knew you were gonna flame me again! Tsk tsk, naughty boy!"

The queen let the tar on her body roll and coat Marco, "There, now you'll—!?"

Eclipsa threw an oversized dark bolt javelin as the fortress came thundering to his aid, the bolt arced before hitting the ground, just as the fortress took another step the bolt detonated. Marco and Eclipsa felt the land wave as the fortress got its foot stuck in the crater and tumbled forward, Meteora was lying in the back beaten.

"Hmph, I'll deal with your overgrown castle…after I'm done with you."

The tar ran all over Marco before it harden and some digging into his chest, Marco yelled as it burrow deep and began to pull. Eclipsa ran the blade tauntingly across the open patch of flesh. She paused and shoved the blade with full commitment.

 _[NOW MARCO!]_

Marco bit hard as the sword funneled into his body, making his entire body glow a golden hue. Eclipsa roared and shoved the blade in, hoping death would claim him first.

ALL CREATION

Eclipsa backpedal, her body singed as Marco wheezed, the dark spikes exploded the moment the golden light made contact with them. The queen drew herself up, the dark contamination spreading further and further over her only leaving her face free, her cheek marks turned violent red to completely black.

Marco grabbed her hand as she faced it to him, he winced feeling the dark magic burn him to the touch,

"You'll die."  
"So long you do, too!"

She uttered the spell just as Marco drew power again from the sword and the two were nearly undone by the two primordial forces trying to overwhelm each other. Eclipsa claws his hand, trying to break free but his grip was iron and refused to let go, her eyes burned as the corruption spread further and further along with the damages that it was known for.

Without warning a blast of dark magic caught him in the face then the torso, but despite the close proximity and intensity, Marco was steadfast. He slammed the glowing sword down and grabbed Eclipsa even as she began to kick and hit him and forced her to grab the sword hilt.

"Experience serenity, Eclipsa!"

The queen's eyes fell on the sword and attempted to engulf it with her darkness. She threw everything she had at the sword, every bit of her hate, frustration, loathing, desperation, bitterness and wrath. Every horrid memory of her past, the nightmares and visions she was plagued with, the utter hopelessness of her imprisonment and loss of her past loves.  
A dark speck briefly showed underneath her pinky before the golden light returned and surge into her in retaliation. Eclipsa screamed and tried to pull herself free, Marco kept her hands on it even as she wailed loud enough to pop his eardrums.

"LET GO OF ME, MARCO!"

"NO! NOOO!"

"ALL OF THIS, I STUDIED, HONE AND WROUGHT UPON MYSELF! IT IS WHO I AM! THESE SCARS ARE MY OWN, CHOICES I HAVE MADE!"  
"…that's terrible."

Light engulf the two of them before Marco released Eclipsa, she staggered back as if drunk and struck; holding her arms. Eclipsa glanced down and stared horrified at the sight: all the dark magic contamination were ill faded…gone.

"What…why did you do this to me?"  
"…it had spread all over you and the adverse effects…well, you would have died. Leaving your daughter to handle negotiations. She would be…ill-suited for the task."

Eclipsa looked at him critically,  
"You mean to use me."  
"In a way, yes, but what does it matter, if we get what we want."

She cautiously looked at her arms.  
"…the contamination would have shorten my lifespan but not kill me outright…I am not indebted to you. Not I the slightest."

Marco shrugged, he looked as if his patience was worn thin, as if it was the last straw,  
"Alright, how about the threat of death?"  
"You'd go so far? Please, boy, like you're capable of that."  
"You're adamant about that, Eclipsa?" he questioned her, his tone strange.  
"I will…not submit…?" her words slow, her mind reeling back to what Marco had done before: the monsters she threw at him…the weapons he had…sparing her and Meteora when he could have easily…

The thoughts interrupted when Marco sighed, feeling the fights weighing on him, he glanced upwards,

"Have it your way."

He recalled the Traitor's Sword and Eclipsa's eyes widen at the sight, her thoughts of him using it on her were discarded when Meteora let out an audible tired exclamation. The queen looked around, seeing nothing creeping towards her, the fortress still lying flat then she noticed shadow around them. She blinked and looked far to the edges of the land and it was covered in shadows, she slowly turn upwards and gasped.  
Above them, obscuring the vast night canvas was an enormous blazing meteor, heading straight for them all.

The queen looked at him astonished,  
"You wouldn't dare!"  
"That meteor will at minimum destroy a hemisphere of this planet. I can escape. You can't stop it nor outrun it. And neither will Meteora. Just agree to my terms Eclipsa and we'll all be better off in the end."  
"No."  
"Fine. Suit yourself."

He pulled the Sword of Creation free before nonchalantly walking away, Eclipsa looked at her arms, free of the corruption. The queen frowned for a moment at her hesitation before she called upon her dark magic, black-purple veins sprouted up once more in her pale arms and she unleashed a volley of dark bolts.

Marco shook his head before he spun unleashing arcs with both swords, grunting as he was thrown back. Eclipsa flew at him wings unfurled and avoided the arcs.

Eclipsa flipped over Marco and held him at dark bolt point, she hissed in his ear, "You think I can't tear open a gateway out of here?"  
"Yeah, because I'll stop you."

Eclipsa bit her lip, feeling out the threat Marco laid out before her, eyes darting upwards she saw the meteor fast approaching, the heavens turning an ominous red. Her eyes flew to Meteora who was still thrashed by Marco's fortress and has yet to recover from the bout.

"…fine." She muttered, "Fine! I agree to your terms Marco. Now get my daughter and myself out of here before we die and most gruesome and unnecessary death."

"Eclipsa, believe me, if there was another way…I would have—"  
"Yeah, yeah, I heard this kind of speech a thousand times already, boy, hoof it."

Marco said nothing before chucking the Traitor's Sword to Meteora and teleporting himself and Eclipsa to the down behemoth. Eclipsa let her stomach settle before she walked over to her daughter and mend her, she got her to revert back and covered up her daughter. Marco looked away just as Eclipsa did so with herself.

"Take us away already, boy."  
"Let me deal with that nasty meteor before we go."

He sighed and Eclipsa saw Marco age back to a teenager again before he grabbed hold of her hand, he frowned seeing the dark marks again.

"Give me, Meteora." He slung her over his shoulder.

Eclipsa watched fascinated as he sheathe the glowing sword into his chest before using the Traitor's Sword to cut open a portal and they moved through.

 _Chronos, Spatial I'll leave that hunk of rock to you!_

/Mhmmm~watch your back boy./  
/She's going to betray the feck out of you!/

Stepping out, Marco felt a massive hand shove him at the same time Meteora taken off his shoulder. He spun the Traitor's Sword into guard just in time to block a dark bolt for his face.

"Talk about not keeping your word."

Marco blocked more bolts as he backpedal across the ravaged lands of Mewni once again. The monster carcasses and blood still lying in place in the battlefield as he held his ground with the queen.

"What about our—" "Shove it up your arse, boy!"

Marco sighed before drawing the Elementals, many of them unhappy with how things were going, especially Seraph.

Dune + Hallow  
Quicksand Entrapment!

The ground beneath Eclipsa feet churned and she took to the skies, Meteora hovering just inches from the ground by her mother's magic. Marco followed her before electricity crackled between his fingertips, fire in the other,

Ignis + Seraph + Hanabi + Olive  
Sunflower Volley!

Raigu!  
Lightning Snare!

Eclipsa dodged the attack, letting it strike the clouds and having it rumble as she dived and fired more and more bolts at him, evading the fireballs that struck the ground.

"Enough Eclipsa!"

Undine + Seraph + Hallow  
Water Spout!

The ground shook before a fountain shot to the sky, swelling up the clouds before a brief but torrential rain came pouring over the landscape.

Yuki!  
Freezing Mist!

Eclipsa felt her wings grow heavier and heavier, frost clinging on it unable to break it off. Marco thrust his palm at her,

ASTRAL THRUST!

Eclipsa grunted as if someone punched the entirety of the air out of her lungs along with most of her magic as she crashed into the ground. Meteora joined her mother as the magic was sapped via the connection of the caster.

Marco panted feeling the stress catching up to him as he put his hand over the ground and a stone coffin came up before he grabbed something inside and aimed it at Eclipsa. The queen weakly threw up a barrier before Marco shot at her, the bullet bouncing off as he walked over. He pulled the trigger again and again and Eclipsa struggled to keep the barrier up, wincing at each hit. She angled the barrier and Marco yelled as the bullet ricochet and managed to find it's way back to him.

Marco stumbled, falling into the mud and staining himself with muck and his blood, even still the Dark Knight got to his feet, determined. His hand shook as he aimed it again only to have Eclipsa crush it before he chucked it aside and leveled his sword at her. He took a deep breath before he unleashed a blazing arc, destroying her barrier and knocking her into the mud, exhausted.

Seraph looked at the convenient sight before her: Marco had finally triumph over Eclipsa and Meteora. It was the perfect time to cut Marco loose.

 _[It's seems your battle has concluded. I'll taking my Sisters with me now, Marco.]_

Marco was blindsided at the news as was the Elementals and Concepts were merely amused at the decision. Before Marco could even ask why the sudden retraction, the Light Elemental snarled,

 _[You've broken your promise too many times. You've put my Sisters in danger and abused our powers not for justice but for gain. The Elementals and Concepts will help you no longer.]_

"I…I understand." Marco reluctantly relented, he had pushed Seraph to the brink, he was even lucky enough to have them as long as he did, "Thank you all for granting me your powers. You all have been a tremendous help."

The Elementals were reasonably put off and angry. The Concepts merely shrugged, it matters not to them either way.

 _Well, I'm staying. No point trying to change my mind, Sister. I am not abandoning, Marco._

 _[So quick, Iggy…I see you ensnared one of my Sisters already, Marco. Take Ignis with you. That is the only aid you will have for the rest of your life.]  
_ ** _[Ignis…if you go with Marco, you could perish alongside him.]_**

 _I know…but there is no place I'd rather be._

 _"Ignis…no, go back to Prima. I can't put you in peril. There's a chance one day I will fall and I won't let you get captured or killed with me. You'll put your Sisters at risk."_

 _NO! Marco, you already proved you're worthy of our strength! Seraph please, if you're not going to aid no longer him give him more of your Light, then Marco could_ —

 _[No. Ignis why are you so infatuated with him? You already saw what he is capable of. His people capable of.]_

 _I don't care! Wherever Marco's path leads him, ruin or prosperity, I will be there for him. I'll give him my Incendiary for as long as he can wield it._

 _[…foolish Sister. Undine, you're staying with Marco.]  
WHAT?! WHY!?_

The Light Elemental was quiet for a moment, looking around and seeing the carnage Marco had caused and by extension her had allowed.

 _[…if Ignis allows Marco to become destructive with her powers…I want you to kill both of them.]_

The elementals and even Concepts were horrified at Seraph's words.

 _Sister…no! NO! Don't! Marco, damn you! You'll be the reason why I kill Ignis!  
"Then don't."  
I'd drown you right now. RIGHT. NOW._

Before the water Elemental could put her hands on Marco, two Elementals immediately stood between the human and elemental. Seraph took notice and gestured to them.

 _[Sylph. Gnome. You stay put too.]  
I was…okay, Sister.  
I'm not happy about this either, Undine. Calm yourself._

Seraph looked at Marco, a withering glare before jabbing his chest, _[That Light inside of you will kill you if you divulge any information about us. Hallow put a bit of yourself as well, I want two of us watching him.]_

Marco felt the pearls float within him as the Elementals and Concepts said their good byes before their departure. Musica kissed Marco on the cheek as did most of the Elementals and Concepts before she whispered to Monster Arm,

 _How can I convey my love for you before they fly away?  
_ _I tHink AbOUt It aLL dAY EvEryDAy!  
_ _We'll be together forever, we're never gonna be apart…_

 _One by one, they only FALL apart…  
_ _Can it be undone?  
_ _Why can't I just be the one for once?!_

Monster Arm yelled as they ascend to the heavens despite Musica's last words to it,  
 ** _No! Not my main bitch!_**

Marco stared at the sky as they made their way home, Raigu lighting up the sky one more time for him as he walked towards the fallen Eclipsa.

"Im…impossible…"  
"…"

A haggard Marco pointed the Traitor Sword at Eclipsa's neck, the entire landscape around them burning, ruptured and filled with blood, the sky cracked with lightning, illuminating the dark canvas of blood red clouds and burning constellations above. Monsters and the like littered the battlefield as the Queen of Darkness summoned them to her aid, but all for naught, even Meteora lay there in the mud, barely alive.

Eclipsa looked up to see the boy, no…the man that bested them all. He was worst for wear, torn up and bloody, but he didn't seem to care, even if he was bludgeon by her monsters, her daughter and even by her own hands and arcane magic, Marco took it.

Meteora weakly pulled herself up, Marco had no problem fighting her, in her base form, monster form, Butterfly form or even her Monster Butterfly form something never before seen. The sheer skill, strength and will from the wielder of the Traitor Sword was peerless to the Queen of Darkness.

"…how could you…?"  
"Don't you fuckin' dare." Marco spat, his breath misting out of his breath, his eyes on Eclipsa.

Marco inched his sword closer, Eclipsa paused before the magic in her hand dissipate, she chuckled at being caught before slumping in the mud mixed with blood, she smiled at Marco even as it began to shower from above.

"I yield, Marco. You have bested Eclipsa Butterfly, the Queen of Darkness. What are your terms?"

"You already know my terms."

Eclipsa held out a hand and he pulled her up, she smiled at the gesture, she made sure to stand _juuust_ right so the holes in her dress were beyond scandalous. Meteora gasped at her mother's display, but she ignored her daughter, her eyes only on the man in front of her.

"As you command…my lovely Dark Knight."

* * *

Whew, that was a doozy to write and I can hear all of you avid readers breathing sighs of relief that this arc is over. Yeah, but it was necessary because Marco is portrayed powerful but I never gave any real context how powerful he was, have I? This should firmly cement how much power Marco hands whether conventional, elemental or otherwise. Another helpful tidbut is that Eclipsa has used dark magic so frequently that low level spells don't mark her anymore, only when using much more powerful ones will it show and adversely affect her.

Now that all the fighting is done, it's back to the politics and drama.  
I mean it pushes the plot but damnit, why did it have to be Mewni politics.

Shout Out to Darkness Rissing [Wood, Ice, Life + Death] SuicideGuy [Poison] for guessing some of the elementals and Concepts.

Songs in order of appearance:  
Drowning Pool: Enemy  
Dope: Die MF Die  
Teriyaki Boyz: Tokyo Drift  
Doki Doki Literatre Club: Doki Doki Forever!

Ignis [Fire] Undine [Water] Gnome [Earth] Sylph [Wind]  
Seraph [Light] Hallow [Dark]  
Automata [Metal] Raigu [Lightning]  
Moku [Wood] Olive [Oil] Jewel [Crystal] Hanabi [Gunpowder] Yuki [Ice]  
Flask [Glass] Toxin [Poison] Salt [Salt, duh] Dunes [Sand]

Chronos [Time] Spatial [Space] Life [Life] Death [Death] Musica [Music] Historia [History] Psyche [Mind] Spirit [Soul/Spirit]

* * *

"You're going to tell me where you got those powers, Marco?"  
"No. Go back to your kingdom, Eclipsa, bury your warriors."

She swept her hand and the bodies were pulled under by some unknown force, "This entire place was a burial site before I came along...it pays to feed the beast that sleeps within this land."

Marco frowned at the lack of ceremony.

Meteora struggled to her feet before Eclipsa made a dark cloud and it slid underneath her daughter and flew to the kingdom, the queen looked at him.

"There, now we're all alone, speak your mind, Marco. Since I already yield, I would like to know more of your plans for Mewni. And how you're going accomplish it. You must have some power hidden that will sway like no other, I'm sure."

"Negotiations. Peace Talks. Treaties. Those will be more than enough."  
"Oh boo, Marco, that's some boring check-and-balances you have!"  
"It's effective."

Eclipsa clicked her tongue before she began to circle him, "C'mon Marco, no need to be shy~ What powers could you be possibly hiding, hmmm?"

The Dark Knight sighed, looking over himself and feeling weak and cold, his hoodie ruined and leftover gear in near tatters. Eclipsa wasn't going to stop heckling him and where he was going, he didn't need her to know, he took his sword and readied to cut a portal the moment Eclipsa was distracted.

"Powers that I hide? Fine, then let me tell you." Marco said quietly facing the queen, she paused at his change in demeanor, "I desired the power to protect those I cherish…and took a bite of the Devil's Fruit for it will lead me there…can you claim as much, Eclipsa?"

Her arms spasm at the words, her eyes widening as Marco's kind brown eyes disappeared as a pitch black sclera spread across it, obscuring and eating any kindness he had. A poisonous green filled the empty eye sockets, forming his iris.

A snake of a smile crept across his handsome face.

 **I am the Fallen Dark Knight…I AM THE FELL KNIGHT.**

Eclipsa took a step back and unconsciously turned away, unable to look him in the eyes any longer.  
Marco brought the sword down and slipped through a portal, landing in a very familiar room.

* * *

Marco's options to defeating Eclipsa and Meteora based on causalities, collateral damages and personal harm.

Option 5: Elementals [this arc]  
Option 4: Call in the favor from all the Allies he befriended over 2 years [his allies could die in the assualt]  
Option 3: his 300 Warband [the Sinful Sips mercs, his brothers/sisters in arms, handpicked himself]  
Option 2: Unleash the Concepts [planetary destruction]  
Option 1: Fully embrace the Fell Knight [permanent contamination of his soul]

Ciao,  
I am NRG

 **END OF TRANSMISSION**


	14. Chapter 14

.  
 **Disclaimer** : the redband trailer.

 **Meteora Butterfly** \- a Princess robbed of her Birthright  
 **Eclipsa Butterfly** \- a Queen deprived of her Kingdom  
 **Hestia Diaz** \- a Youth who challenges her Fate  
 **Oblivion Pendragon** \- a Ghost without an Heir  
 **Star Butterfly** \- a Princess who stakes her Crown  
 **Tom Lucitor** \- a Prince living a Lie  
 **Marrow-Eater "Buttercup"** \- An honorable lizard denied his History

 _Those who "Don't Give Up"_

 **Marco Diaz** \- A Fallen Knight

 **Chapter 13**

Peace Talker Incident cont.

 **XxXxXxXxX**

"Before my combat with the Queen of Darkness and Meteora, I went to gather myself weapons, armor and allies before happening upon Eclipsa's domain. There I first negotiated with the queen, it didn't turn out too well and we came to blows, her posse and myself. After I thinned her numbers down, I tangled with Meteora while I sent Eclipsa down a hole. It was a hard battle but before things escalated further, Eclipsa popped back and I teleported the three of us to a fringe dimension. There I let loose my full power upon them; fighting Meteora and Eclipsa until we were exhausted and brought ourselves back to Mewni where I finally triumphed over them. From then on I kept an eye on her and her daughter from doing anything…mischievous."

"…" "…?"

"And that concludes my battle with Meteora and Eclipsa respectively." Marco finished after a pause, Eclipsa looked a little rueful at the recollection, remembering how rough the Dark Knight was.

"That was a very brief explanation."

"You want to see 3 Chapters of an explanation?"

The royals raise a brow at the odd wording.

Moon ignored the reply and looked solely at the elder Butterfly, "You're not going to rebuke him, Eclipsa? Say he only won because you let him?" "No, everything he stated is the truth." "Even after he ran you through the mud?" Eclipsa gave Moon a rather stony face, Moon smiled to herself at the small but satisfying jab.

The royals looked a bit nervous at Moon trying to bait Eclipsa out however, they turned their attention on the Traitor's Sword, it hadn't so much as arc with lightning at the recounted tale.

"…" "…um, no. Your story checks out."

The rest of the kingdom royals weren't too thrilled to hear the exploits, they half expected Marco striking up a deal with the queen as some sort of plan in the long run. Instead they got something far worse than they could imagine:

Marco Diaz outright defeated the Queen of Darkness along with Meteora.

Mentally, Marco sighed with relief, he was exceptionally lax with the explanations, had he spoken more in depth they would have find out all the things he had used along with how much power he had accumulated.

He refrains from glancing at Eclipsa, knowing he was being watched. The queen was silent the entire time, knowing her she was just happy to see the royals of Mewni squirm. On the other hand, he could never be too sure what the queen of darkness was planning; she was a literal wildcard.

The royals began to discuss the story, many of them unable to comprehend how such a…human would gain the favor of the elements of nature. It was unheard of.

Magic was indeed a shortcut of sorts, bending nature, law, reality and such to one's whims but to use the full extent of something as powerful as nature…it was a dangerous feat.

Many Mewmans in the past attempted to reconnect to nature as sages but they could only vaguely feel nature. Marco conversed and brought the entirety of their powers to bear against Eclipsa and overwhelmed her.

The SpiderBite Queen looked at Marco, still smarting at being hoodwinked but she masked her face, she wanted some prime information. Even if she had to share with the other royalties…

"So…is it possible for you, Dark Knight, to beat Eclipsa without the Elementals?" the queen inquired loudly, the room's activity froze at the sudden question, they looked between the queen and dark knight.

Marco looked thoughtful for a moment.

"Yes, I quite believe I could." Eclipsa rolled her eyes, "However, I would have to be prep a myriad of weapons, supplies and tools to subdue her and Meteora. Option 6 if you will and it would have to rely on luck to be honest."  
"Could you do it without the Traitor's Sword?"  
"…"

Eclipsa looked at Marco expectantly.

"…I will say a soft maybe. Again luck would have to be on my side. But I could devise a way to beat her, the Traitor's Sword just made things…more convenient and timely. It could have been a really drawn out fight."

The royals muttered to each other while Marco waited as the royals came to the same general consensus.

So it was possible to defeat Eclipsa the Queen of Darkness without a relic. However the perquisites were quite steep…they hated to admit it but Marco was a fearsome warrior for one so young; strategic and resourceful to boot as well.

But it was possible…and that got them hopeful…and scheming.

"Alright, so does my exploits suffice? Is there any doubt that I can't contain Eclipsa and Meteora on my own?"

Marco's loud words startled many of them, something them so deep in thought they forget they were in a meeting.

"…" "…?" "…!"

Every royal sat there quiet, even the Magic High Commission kept their mouths shut, unsure if they could even stop Marco now if he decided to go on a rampage.

"I thought so." Marco said quietly, "Now, as for my proposals."

The royals glanced at one another, trying to feel out each other's intentions,

"Er, Dark Knight—"  
"Marco is fine."  
"…right. Marco, your feats are without doubt, are we agreed?"

The royals muttered to themselves but agreed in various chorus: "Yes." "Agreed." "I'd prefer just a dead Eclipsa…" "I suppose." "I guess, I mean this is Earth Turd."

The Lucitors, Spiderbite and Johansens grunted.

"So Queen Eclipsa and Meteora is contained solely by you, correct?"  
"Yes."  
"…what if you died?" The Waterfolk Queen deadpan.

The royals gave her an alarmed look, Marco shrugged.

"Then the pieces will fall where they may. I can't do anything if I'm dead, yes?"

Her eyes fell on the sword, "Then whose to police Eclipsa and her daughter in your stead?"

Marco chuckled where the questions were leading to, "Hmmm, I guess I never thought that far ahead. No one, I suppose. But I do believe by then you all would have made peace with one another by the time of my death, at the very least wouldn't start a goddamn war with each other. As for my sword, yes, I know everyone has it in their forefront of thoughts and schemes, the Traitor's Sword will choose its new master and serve them honorably."

"Will it choose a new one even if you're alive?" asked King Jagged Mountain, Marco shrugged again, "I've never really tested that before mainly because the sword has the tendency to be violent with everyone besides myself and Oblivion."

Moon frowned at Dark Knight's words, "Marco, that means any of your proposals will…not stand the test of time. Surely you do have a more concrete plan than this?"

"I do. It's what I said already: communicate and grow alongside each other, do not let fear completely control your thoughts and actions, and let Eclipsa manage her domain. I do have faith that what I do now would at least continue towards the future. It won't last forever, to be sure, but the very least Mewni will have some respite. It will be an era in Mewni History that future generations will look back on and endeavor to have more frequently than not."

The royals whisper to each other, Eclipsa merely waiting to be dismissed, she cast a careful eye to all the royals, making a point to catch Star, Moon and River's eye. The first looked betrayed, the second was spiteful and the last a mixture of fear and upset.

Please with what she saw Eclipsa whispered to Marco, "It's been a long time since the Mewni royals talked so civilized. All thanks to you."

Marco ignored her.

 ** _You know Marco I never realized…  
_** _"That you're a hellish parasite, leeching off me."  
_ ** _Oh, you got my good qualities but besides my devilishly good looks, Moon is quite the looker.  
_** _"…?"  
_ ** _Y'know, if she let her hair down…smiled a little more, wore more flattering dresses, I mean she has to be in her 30's yeah? She's total a MILF!  
_** _"You—!"  
_ ** _No! QILF! So much better.  
_** _"I don't believe I'm having this conversation with you again."  
_ ** _I mean Eclipsa is in the same age range, yeah? The fruit maybe over ripe but still quite fu—  
_** _"ENOUGH. I don't believe you're leering those two."  
_ ** _I'm making up for all the times you DON'T. Next time Marco don't be such a baby back bitch. Hell, Kelly would agree with me and she DESPISES me._**

Marco muted out the rest of Monster Arms suggestions and observations.  
The Dark Knight watched the royals speak to one another, some looking nervous or stiff, a telling sign of them not on the best terms but now working together even if the reason was the threat of a Dark Knight and a renegade queen.

 _So long this keeps them in line…so be it._

"Ahem, Marco?"  
"Yes?" Marco looked around, unsure who he answered, Moon gave a little wave at him.

"Since this _meeting_ had started, wouldn't you say it is in need of a little recess?"

Marco gave a thoughtful look, "I suppose…we've been all _sitting_ on our laurels, well minus the MHC, Eclipsa and myself."

The royals didn't respond verbally to the jab but their face showed they didn't take it well.

"Why not? If it get us to come to a better compromise, I'm sure everyone here is famish." Marco declared in a measured tone.

Moon saw to this and twisting a knob on the meeting room door, ringing a bell on the other side. The door opened cautiously as the queen told the standing attendant for a cart of refreshments from the private meeting. Thankfully, she magically and conventionally soundproofs it, although her knocking would not make it through so she needed alternative means. She waited for the attendant to return, wheeling the cart in herself letting no servant inside while they discuss such private matters.

The royals eyed the massive cart while Moon was finding it a bit difficult to move, "What on Mewni did they put into this? A warnicorn?!" she muttered darkly under her breath.

She pulled the linen cloth off and the royals drooled at the spread of cornbread, corndogs, dinner rolls, Mewni buttered corncobs, a variety of roast meats and poultry with smoked sausages, wheels of cheeses, cured ham and savory mutton, salted and mixed greens, picked vegetables, an assortment of broiled fishes, a bowl of cooked shellfishes, finger food sandwiches, mashed tuber salad and steamed mushrooms, thick slice bread with a variety of jams, jellies and spreads, some red and white pasta and a bowl of night-crawlers for the Pigeon royals.

On the lower compartment were an assortment of desserts things like cakes, sweetmeats, parfaits, sweet rolls, gelatos and flavored cream dishes. Alongside that was pitchers of water, juice, tea, milk, wine and latte.

Marco held on Eclipsa's collar as the royals descend upon the cart, busily getting in line and grabbing plates of grub. The MHC looked at the cart longingly, but Marco merely coughed, "Hey, we're not going anywhere. Not when we got the royals thinking sense for once."

"Oooh, c'mon they are almost out of cinnamon rolls!" Rhombulus squeal and bodily pushed his way through, stepping on as many toes as possible. Omni looked at them for a moment before he drifted and picked out some Mewni corncobs.

Hekapoo looked at them before she stride onto Marco, thankful the entire room was occupied, especially when River leapt upon King Ponyhead to cut ahead of the line.

"This better not be some elaborate setup, Marco. You got some royals' hopes in the air and you probably wont live if you smash it."

"Why thank you for believing in me."

"…" Hekapoo sighed, before looking at him, "Why did you run, Marco. Why did you lie to me. Again I might add. If you were just truthful—" "I may be a terrible friend, Hekapoo, but I'm no traitor…even if I was the one betrayed."

Marco sighed, not meeting her eye, he took a few steps back so Eclipsa couldn't hear and the blacksmith followed.

"I did it to protect Star. But you already knew that."  
"You're still doing that. After what she did to you?" Surreal surprise etched into her voice.

Hekapoo tried to trace his scar and he slapped her hand away, she frowned, "Yes. Begrudgingly now. H-Poo, I wish these were different: but it's not. I have to fix this mess the best I can so at least one of us will get a happy ending."

"Even if it isn't you?"  
"Especially if it isn't me…what I have done, well, I don't suppose I get to fight for my happy ending given the chance."

Hekapoo watched the royals eat and be merry, some of them already talking in lighter moods.

"You've changed."  
"I can say the same for you…did you really try to break into my dimension."

Hekapoo looked furious for a moment, before it turned somber, as if remembering something, she touched her head, frowning.

"Yea—ah…I did…eventually I stopped. I couldn't spend hours trying when I had a job to do."  
"Sorry, I never meant for you to lose so much precious time over me."

Marco said apologetically to the blacksmith, she kept herself from smiling at his sincerity.

"Time…heh, that's funny Marco, time isn't something I'm concerned with."  
"Hm, I suppose so. It's like you're ever gonna get old and die…like me."  
"…that's actually depressing to hear." _You'll be gone one day…_  
"No one lives forever." _…not even Immortals._

The two stood there for a hot minute, the morbid subject putting a damper on everything. He glanced at her before looking forward again, "My ward will be coming down by the end of this meeting…I'm debating about putting another up afterwards."

"…"

The two continued to wait until the lines thinned and Marco walked to the cart, picking whatever food that was left, he grabbed a slice of chocolate cake for Eclipsa while Hekapoo walked over and frowned at the lack of spicy food. She took a plate of pepper jack cheese, a slice of smoked meats and slices of bread and made herself a sandwich and ate it, taking a mug full of piping hot sweeten latte.

Star frowned as did Moon and Hekapoo as Marco had to feed Eclipsa as both hands were stuck to the Traitor's Sword. The queen took exaggerated bites, chewing and gulps, her eyes meeting a select few before she was done with her cake.

"Thank you Marco, you're such an _accommodating_ Dark Knight." Eclipsa couldn't help but purr, Marco raised a brow, as if used to the antic and put the plate back to the cart and wheeling it away from the tables and royals. Marco returned to his post next to Eclipsa and answered the room again,

"You all look happy."

The royals immediately frowned at the voice of the Dark Knight.

"Now that you are all nice and plump, what are your answers to my proposals?" Marco asked, getting straight to the point, they looked at each other before looking at Moon, she looked at them in disbelief being elected as the mouth piece.

"What? Oh for Mewni sake…Marco, yes, we are in an agreement for your first proposal, it's…foolish of us NOT to speak to one another—"  
"But we'll do as we please in our kingdoms, no one will police what we do within it."

Moon looked at the Spiderbite King for a moment, shaking her head, "Yes, we'll commence regular trade and business, just like before."

Marco nodded, pleased with the verdict, Eclipsa smiled at Moon even giving her a bow of her head, the queen narrowed her eyes. Moon turned to the royals and they spoke to each other, some shaking their heads but most nodding.

"For your second proposal…while we do believe you would mean us no harm Marco, beyond annoying and poking your nose where it doesn't belong…you can not expect us to not fear retaliation from Eclipsa, Meteora and her ilk."  
"But that includes you too, dear Moon, you're my grand daughter and sometimes the fruit doesn't fall far from the tree." Eclipsa chirped.

"Enough, Eclipsa." Marco said warningly, seeing Moon turn livid. The queen took many calming deep breathes before deflating before she continued, Star looking a little worried at the words.

"Until you have something in mind to keep her, Meteora and her accomplices in check…we'll still be extremely wary of her."

"Understandable, but that's as far as I will go for Mewni. You have some faith that Eclipsa will sit still and her daughter and her citizens will do the same."

The royals were not swayed by Marco especially after he stated he wouldn't go any further to contain her.

"And lastly we have come to a vote…I—we have chosen…" Moon chewed on the words, everyone looked at her forebodingly.  
"NOT to recognize Eclipsa's sovereignty over her kingdom. I'm sorry, Marco."

* * *

Silence.

The Dark Knight sighed loudly closing his eyes.

Moon Butterfly stood up regardless, "Since I'm the mediator, I have the obligation to Abstain to keep things from being a stalemate. Even though I took the full brunt of your Dark Departure and Eclipsa's Escape, along with raids against my kingdom and my attempts to mend the situation…I will dutifully Abstain, I hope you understand this, Marco."

Marco opened his eyes, looking at the Queen and gave a curt nod.  
Moon looked at the next royal.

King and Queen Pigeon flutter up and shit all over the floor: ABSTAIN.

King Pony Head and Pony Head Princess floated up, "In light of recent events and revelations, Cloud Kingdom will Abstain."

King and Queen Kelpbottom, Queen and King Jagged Mountain stood up, "We chose to Agree with your proposals."

King River Johansen-Butterfly and Johansen family member; King, Queen and Prince Thomas and King and Queen Spiderbite stood up, looking at him with livid faces, "We chose to REJECT your self-serving proposals, Dark Knight."

"May your bones rot, traitor." The Johansen member spat, River merely looked away as Moon and Star looked at him horrified. He shook his head, "I'm not a Johansen…not anymore…even if I wanted to, Marco is right…"

"Food will turn into ash, water will be sand upon your tongue!" sneered the King Lucitor.

"Never step foot on Mewni again, human." Snarled Queen Spiderbite.

The insults dripped with venom, MHC looked at the Dark Knight, watching for sudden moves that would lead to corpses. Eclipsa comfortingly patted his shoulder, "You mean well…doesn't mean it will be taken as such."

Marco brushed her hand off.

"Honestly…I'm not even mad."

Marco looked at all of them, his expression changed; it was as if some colossal weight had been taken off his shoulders.

"I'm in shock, in awe and aghast that you could all be this fuckin' stupid to a simple problem." Marco lifted his arms up halfway before it fell and slapped his sides, "I guess that's it then. Thank you for your time and this showcase of unity and steadfast beliefs in yourself, royals of Mewni. May your reign last."

"Is that a threat Marco?" Tom snarled, Marco raised an eyebrow at him.

"That's my closing remarks. I came here, you said your piece, I said mine, we came to a decision and now we part ways. Not really a waste of time, but…I feel like I've done enough." He said the last bit relatively…happy.

He turned to Eclipsa, "Alright, back to your castle with you."  
Marco took up the sword, ready to slash open a portal.

A shadow leapt at him and he shoved the Queen behind him before Tom punched him across the face, the MHC in motion as was the royals, some surprised, others not so much.

The demon spawn yelled when a pillar of fire and erupted over Marco and nearly singes Eclipsa. Everyone backed away.

 _You cowardly dick-less pathetic excuse of a 'prince'!_

Marco pushed himself up as Eclipsa took the fallen sword, the Dark Knight wiped his chin as Ignis took shape.

Barefoot, dressed in a vibrant orange, red, yellow and black kimono, patterns of fire and dragons, vivid red hair flowing down her shoulders and back, eyes burning like charcoal, the Elemental Ignis wore a scowl on her face.

The Mewmans stared at the sight: an Elemental.  
The first seen since the legends of yore.

And she was pissed.  
Tom stared at her and she hissed, forcing him to scamper back. The royals stood up to get a better look of the fiery visage and she wasn't too please with the attention.

 _Yeah…get a good look, because this will be the only time an Elemental will ever grace this…shithole you call a home._

The words struck a painful chord with all of them.

"Why not?" River dared to ask. Ignis laughed mirthlessly and even so, it was quite lyrical although not on par with Musica.

 _After your so-called prince has done? After what you have done to your lands? No Elemental will ever awakening here, this land is dead._

Marco dusted himself, his lip bleeding but he didn't care, "Your sucker punch needs work, Tom."

"Got you on your knees." Tom spat.

"And I'll put you on your back; hornless." Marco sighed.

Moon looked at Ignis as the room suddenly gotten hotter, "Marco, we can't let you whisk Eclipsa away. She's has much to answer for. You have to leave her here."

"Honestly, I would, but you don't have much on her so she's going back to her kingdom where she's under house arrest."

"NO SHE IS NOT." Moon said hotly, "She attacked myself before escaping, magically knocked out River and Pony Head Princess and would be a threat to Mewni if left uncheck! No matter what you say Marco, Eclipsa will stay here in custody!"

The Magic High Commission came forward and Ignis made a hand gesture before the floor rumbled, the air thicken and a pitcher fell over.

Gnome, Sylph and Undine came in being, each donning a similar kimono however they work shades of orange-brown, green-teal and blue-white respectively. And they looked every bit upset as Ignis.

The royals gawked at them. The queens, Star and Pony Head feeling a little green as the four elementals were beautiful in ways they couldn't hope to match.

Sylph looked at the royals, _these Mewmans will die this day…that one especially._

Tom glared at the four, Marco pushed himself forward, "No. This is between Tom and myself. No one is to interfere."

Tom smirked, a swagger in his step, "I'm waaay more powerful than you, asshole. I'll burn you to a crisp."

 _And you'll die in a crisp. Sisters, let's make sure this fight is fair. You, witch Queen, make it doubly so._

The Elementals walked forward, forming a box with Marco and Tom in the center, Eclipsa wisely walked out of the box with the Traitor's Sword.

"Marco! Tom! Stop this!" Star cried, she ran forward only to rebuffed by Eclipsa who called out coldly, "Stay out of this child. You can't begin to fathom how important this is to them."

The royals looked on, not wanting to cross the Elementals.  
Dave tried his luck anyways and Sylph sent a whirlwind at him, smashing him back to his seat.

 _Get up again and I will flatten you through these stone floors._

Moon gestured for the MHC to intervene but Marco roared, "You step into this arena and I will personally run the Traitor's Sword through you! 'Gods' will die this day."

Everyone froze at the deathly serious edge Marco's tone etched on his words.  
Marco looked at Tom, eyes full of fury.

"No magic. No demon fire. No weapons. No trickery. Just like before: only our body, our will and our pride. You try something stupid and the Elementals and Eclipsa will gut you silly."

Tom scoffed, "As if a puny human could beat me twice."  
Marco said nothing.

He unzipped his hoodie and threw it over Eclipsa.  
"Really?"

Next was his under shirt. He threw it over Hekapoo.  
"I'm burning this."

Tom frowned seeing a collection of impressive scars all over his former-friend's body, his body lined with hard muscle, his abs coming along. He put up his scarred dukes, Tom frowned as he did the same.

The demon spawn blinked and Marco's fist came crashing into his face a second later, on instinct the prince threw a punch too, hitting Marco too.

Marco merely turned his head as Tom took the punch worse than he and stumbled back. He grunted as Marco immediately followed up, not giving him a chance as he savagely punched him again and again.

And by the sounds of it, Marco was not holding back at all. The sickening crunches made anyone queasy. Tom found his footing and rained counter-blows against the Dark Knight, fist-hitting-fist, along with the odd kick and tail Tom slither out of his backside.

Marco was undeterred.  
Punches were thrown, kicks hitting limbs, the two savagely beat each other wherever they could reach. No finesse, no grace, just a slobber knocker between the two of them.  
For about a minute.

The Dark Knight started to parry, block, evade and counter the princeling, squeezing in a punch and kick here and there, giving Tom a new bruise with each second. The royals could hardly tear their eyes away from literally two teenagers beating the snot out of each other.

 _ **Quality entertainment folks! Watch a lil bitch fight a child with chronic tantrums!**  
_ _ **Winner bangs your mom! And dad!**_

Tom caught on that he was on the ropes and roared fire erupting from his nose and mouth but Ignis quickly stemmed it off. The demon put up his hands in time to stop the following barrages to the face as he shoved Marco aside and tried to gouge him with his horns.

Marco twisted his body and avoided it before viciously kicking Tom in the shin and watching him fall forward into the floor.

"Get up, Prince Tom, I'm not done with you."

Tom spun and tried to punch Marco, who merely backstep and kicked him hard in the chest before diving in with his knee and knocking him back down. Tom tried to scramble to his feet but Marco was on him, putting him into an arm bar and locking himself.

Tom roared in pain trying wrench himself free, he began to mutter darkly as glowing rock slabs began to push out of the floor.

Then it sunk back in as Gnome willed it to retreat.

Tom huffed feeling his arm about to be pulled out of its socket; he jettisons himself in the air with flames only to be stopped by Ignis. But that gave him enough leeway and he slammed Marco into the ground instead, turning the tables on him.

"You. Thought. You. Could. Beat. Me. Twice!?" Tom grunted each word to match each punch he delivered. Marco braced himself, taking the punches until the last one was thrown and he grabbed Tom's wrist and yanked him down.

Marco bunched up his right arm and viciously elbowed Tom in the face, and grabbed his horn and yanked him to the side pulling him off. Dazed and desperate, Tom flailed his head and his horn cut across Marco's hand; soaking it in blood.

Marco quickly got to his feet and grabbed Tom by the horns before he threw him bodily out of the box and into the meeting table, causing the royals to quickly dive away from it as the prince crashed through it.

Marco glared at Tom for a moment before walking up to Undine and showing her his hand. She raised an eyebrow at the sight.

 _It'll heal._  
"Won't you kiss it and make it better for me?"

Undine glared at him before water seeped around his hand and healed the cut. The royals took notice of it, except for the Lucitors who helped their son and Spiderbite Queen who wiped Tom of blood he got on himself.

Star bit her lip torn between the two, she was midstep to Marco but caught her mother's eyes, she gave her a look and she redirected herself to Tom making sure he was all right.

Hekapoo readied to burn the shirt but Ignis quickly snatched it away, their eyes briefly meeting before she handed it to Marco. Eclipsa threw Marco his hoodie and he dressed himself, the royals and MHC finding their composure.

"Marco—"  
"I'm leaving. Clearly I'm not welcomed here. Not anymore. I've tried to help you now you're on your own."

"What is this: you're exiling yourself from Mewni?"  
"Yes. This time it's official instead of just being ousted like last time."

"…"

* * *

Some of the royals erupted in cheers, as did Omni and Rhombulus although Omni was quieter than the rest.

"Yeah. Lap it up." Marco shook his head, "Let's see how long that lasts."

The royals pretended to not hear him.  
Although, one surely did.

Still bruised, Tom walked forward to him, Eclipsa watched him curiously, "So what Marco…what if we listened to you hmmm? What then? What's to say you wont come around again and boss us around? What gives you the right? Who are you to judge? Who are YOU to tell us how we are to conduct ourselves? You don't see any of us coming to Earth and changing your way of life!"

Marco glanced at Star

"QUIT FUCKING LOOKING AT MY GIRLFRIEND ASSHOLE."

"One, Mina Loveberry tried to 3 years ago. Although, Star stopped it cold."

"On that note, where did you send Mina Loveberry?" Moon loudly interjected, Marco looked genuinely flabbergast, "I don't know. I tried looking for her but I could find neither hair nor hide of her."

"So you killed her, Marco." Tom spat.

"You know what Tom: fuck you."

The royals gasped.

"At least Tom, I own up to my mistakes! I do what I can within my power to heal instead of harm, but what have you done? What have you all done!? You have vast powers and influence on Mewni, this entire fiasco could have, would have, should have: never happened! Instead you took the foolish route! The one that leads to annihilation and suffering!"

"You act as if your dimension isn't some shit either Marc—"  
"SHUT YOUR CUNT MOUTH, I AM NOT DONE SPEAKING."  
"…"

"Language Earth turd."

"I may have this mess I made on Mewni, but what you did hurts me just as bad. I have a bone to pick with you on a very personal level, the fuckery you put Star through, it's really scummy to use the Blood Moon Ball binding ritual on your ex-girlfriend! Now, it's up to me to un-fuck this fucked predicament you put me and Star under!"

Marco looked at him heatedly, feeling all the years and suffering unleashed, even if they all look at him like he as if he was a mental rabid warnicorn, he wanted some goddamn catharsis without violence if he could manage. And put someone on blast for once.

"Now Star and I are eternally bonded to one another despite how we feel about it! She's dating you and I'm here going through the Unbinding, you sick fuck, I've been through it for the past two years! You think I was knocking back soda pops and crushing pizzas over the multi-dimension?! I put myself in the grindstone completing and failing Impossible Tasks while you and Star cozy it up! And to make it official even the Blood Moon Goddess came down and gave us a piece of her mind, you better count your blessings that you'll never see her and rip you a new asshole, asshole!"

Everyone looked at him speechless.  
Marco straightens himself up, feeling a lot better in years.  
Waterfolk and Pigeon Queen fainted.  
Star stared at him appalled and…relieved?

"…alright, c'mon where's your insults?" Marco made a rolling gesture with his hand, he looked at the royals, then the MHC, waiting for the worse, "Hurry up! Where's the part you throw me into a goddamn nut house cell!"

When no one spoke up, Marco blinked and looked at Eclipsa, she looked sheet white, his eyes looked over the room, seeing similar faces, Tom's own had gone near ghost white.

"Wait…wait a goddamn second…you believe me?"

They slowly nodded.

"Why?" Marco's mind raced with this sudden development; surely the Goddess took in account…

They all looked at the sword.  
Not once did it light up with arcs of lightning.

 _No fuckin' way…_

Marco took a step back, his hand over his mouth, both Marco and Star resisted the urge to look up. Somehow, some way, they knew the Blood Moon Goddess would materialize from the ceiling and swoop down on them.

"That…that dance…was a curse? A legit curse? You're cursed by a Goddess?!"  
"Oh gurl…B-Fly, let me da first to say…what the **[bleep] [bleep]** shit have you been going through?! Why wasn't I there?!"  
"LUCITOR! Did you—!" "NO! We had no idea!" "TOM!"

Marco looked at the sword, his mind racing, _okay, okay, that sword is somehow nullifying the Goddess's powers…I better say the most important bits._

"Tom is a twat!"

The sword didn't respond.

Queen Pigeon woke up.  
Just to faint again.

Star looked at Marco, "Okay, just making sure the Traitor's Sword is nullifying the Blood Moon Goddess powers. Alright, three years ago Tom tried to get Star to dance with him under the Blood Moon, however I intervened and instead I'm the one that's bonded to Star for eternity."

"How romantic~" Eclipsa chirped, "Congratulations!"  
"…"

The royals looked at the Lucitors.

 ** _Hah ha! This demon sweatin'!_**

"But I'm unwinding the red string of fate."  
"Boo!" Eclipsa gave him a thumb down.

"Shut up. Star deserves to choose her soul mate and without something like a curse forcing her to. When I complete the Impossible Tasks…Star will be free. She'll pursue anyone she wishes."

"Can't this curse be broken some other way?" Queen Moon asked, her eyes darting to the Lucitors.

"Yes, if we both choose to lift it, the curse will be gone."

Star looked hopeful at the words.

"But I will not. Too many good people died lifting it. I'm not going to sully their memories because I want the easy way out of this."

"Then you're just torturing her, Marco! You just want her to be miserable! Like you." Tom spat, Marco rounded to him, "Torture? Let me tell you something about _torture_ …and _misery_ , Tom. Let's put you in a cell with your family...with those you've come to love…called you a friend…whoever put their lives and trust in you…and you choose who dies in what order. Until they are all dead. Then you walk out of that cell."

They looked at Marco, eyes wide.

"If that thought scares you…I've been through that for lifetimes in the span of two years. I did that for Star so she could have a choice…when I did not."

"But Marco I didn't ask you to! You shouldn't have!" Star cried, Marco glared at her.  
"You know…that's exactly what I asked when I pulled the Traitor's Sword out of a friend." Marco shook his head, correcting himself.  
"Friends."

"…"

"You could have just loved her, Marco. You could have skipped all this bullshit." Hekapoo said quietly, he laughed hollowly, Ignis looked at him sadly.

"And what? So I can rob her of her _choice_? Can you really say that Star and I would have ended up together? With all that has happened? Anything could happen. The future is not written and I do not peek into the future. Star had to settle with me? No matter how much it would destroy her life? Ohhh, don't you say something out of a romance novel like 'love will conquer all'...because it's not fair kingdoms will perish over two _dancers_. The Goddess would go the extra mile...just for her precious _Binding_."

Marco stood there, looking at them all, he glanced at the ceiling and mentally sighed when the Goddess wasn't there.

"But…now I'm done with Mewni. And Mewni is done with me...and my dimension."  
"What are you…?"  
"Marco?"  
"He's going to Ward his dimension again!"

Marco willed the two pearls out of his heart, he huffed feeling the strain it caused before he began to mix it together, the two forces of Creation crystalizing, ready to become what he wanted, what would be…the Silent Century Ward Crystal. It's potency unlike the Ward Crystal lasting a little over two years with dozens of like crystals helping power it.

This crystal…could Ward his dimension for nigh a 100 years…alone.  
He looked upon the Mewni royals with livid eyes, he wanted to keep the last bits of Seraph and Hallow for something drastic…but this would have to do. The Elementals stood between Marco and the rest of them, they gave him cautionary glance.

 _Such a waste…_

Marco grunted as the procedure was nearly complete, it would take but a momen

 _[inaudible] nnnnnooooo! Please, no more! NO MORE! I CAN'T! I CAN'T, [inaudible]!_

The Dark Knight flinched and looked around wildly, his heart nearly jumping through his ribcage.

 _…what? Who?_

Marco looked around questioningly.  
Everyone was staring at him.

He looked at his palm; the crystal was half-form.  
He felt this sense of overbearing sickening dread before, he drily swallowed, feeling a familiar clammy cold creep on him.  
That scream…those cries for help…it was misery…absolute torment…no hope, just despair upon despair.

Memories flooded his mind and Marco looked at the deformed crystal, trembling in his palm.  
Tears threatening to burst.

 _You can't save them all, hero…  
I can try.  
…then get ready to be disappointed. Guilt…is a heavy burden.  
You would know?  
…I do._

Shakily, Marco squeezed his fist closed and planted his palm over his hammering heart, feeling the warmth of the pearls seep into him. He breathed deeply, _please...don't make me regret this._

"On second thought…I'll keep Earth Ward-Free."

The royals blinked.  
The MHC blinked.  
The Elementals looked at him with concern at his decision.

 _Is that wise?  
Marco...they'll come to your dimension...you'll never have a peaceful day again._

"But just so you know…come into my dimension without my say-so: I will punish you without consequence."

They all looked at Marco, his sudden change of something he was hell-bent on was…unnerving. However, a few only found the news good, the rest didn't give two shits what Marco did, so long it wasn't detrimental to them.

Eclipsa coughed loudly.  
Everyone looked at her irritated.

"Alright, since this entire meeting has been an colossal waste of time, I have only one thing left to do before I leave." She glanced at Marco who took the sword and slashed a portal open before he pointed to it. Eclipsa merely smirked at the gesture.

The MHC moved forward as Moon pointed at the renegade queen.  
Marco frowned and shook his head slowly.  
They ignored him and charged.

The royals flung themselves back as the Elementals turned Primal; their elements tearing through their beings and blasted the three backwards. Moon raised her hand magic shining, Star had her Wand, River took his axe and Tom limped forward with Pony Head.

"Marco!"  
"Queen Moon, if you go looking for trouble with Eclipsa: you're going to lose. Keep her far from your thoughts and just focus on your people and the rest of Mewni. Eclipsa is already contained. Just go about your business."  
"You should listen _Queen_ Moon, so long you keep your cute nose out of my affairs~ I wont try to get into your **guts with a rusty hairpin** …that goes double for all of you~!"

Her little speech over, Eclipsa faced Marco, taking in all that he was, some very wary she wasn't holding the sword but the golden runes showed up on her neck. She ignored everyone before taking Marco's hand and knelt down, on one knee. Everyone in the room gasped, Hekapoo, Star and Elementals looking more agitated than surprise. The queen kissed his knuckles for a moment, before looking up demurely at the Dark Knight.

"Marco…"  
"…?" the Dark Knight stared at her, his face couldn't resist reddening at the gesture.  
 ** _Oh hell yes! Blow job right in front of the family, this queen is all about the taboos!_**

"I—" Marco felt something pulled from him, a cool draft followed, "—can't believe you keep falling for that one!"

Marco sighed as Eclipsa pants him again, his jeans around his ankles as she skipped away into the portal. No one even attempting to stop her from fleeing.

 ** _…damnit, how she get you every time? But in your defense, even I was fooled…even after the 8th time this has happened._**

"Nice underwear, Marco!" Hekapoo sneered.  
"You didn't get shocked. Guess you really like them, H-Poo." Marco said coolly.

The MHC member showed him the middle finger, before the royals came back to their senses.

"Quick the portal!"

The portal closed.

"FUCK!"

 **XxXxXxXxX**

* * *

Ta-dah, I am back. And heavily medicated. I've been sick for a whoppin' 2 weeks...that really cut into my writing time. (´ж｀;)  
I know the show had their character development arcs, so will I but I'll have it aimed in so many better ways.  
And now since the cat is out of the bag...let's see where things lead to hmmm?

For clarification Eclipsa had two children: Festiva and Meteora. She views Meteora rightful to the throne because she married Globgor out of love not duty. So Star is still a True Butterfly unlike the series, this way is a lot easier. Also Tom hasn't gone through the development arc like the series so don't be surprised if Tom is still a fuck boi, I know he's a bit more likable in the series but here: he isn't.

And for those who want Hestia back in the limelight, she'll get her chance. A lot sooner than you think.  
Time to crank out these updates.

I don't know what else to say but say I'm glad to be back. Show this fanfic writer some love •́ε•̀٥

 _tu ne me reconnaiss pas?_  
I AM NRG

 **END OF TRANSMISSION**

* * *

Marco looked at the seething royals.

"...so you guys hyped for Hazbin Hotel?"

They just looked at him.

"What? I like the premise. Oh, whatever, you all suck anyways."


	15. Chapter 15

.  
 **Disclaimer** : Now I'm free...there are no strings on me. As said by Ultron.

 **Chapter 14**

Exiled

 **XxXxXxXxX**

* * *

"You just let Eclipsa Escape. Again."  
"No I did not. I don't know how she escape your clutches—"

"You beat up the Magic High Commission and allowed her to escape!"

Marco nodded at the words, Hekapoo rolled her eyes as the other two glared at him, Moon sighed rubbing her temples.

"You let her back to her 'kingdom'…Marco, you're her accomplice now."

"I'm not. Yes, your verdict was made, but I'm not your servant, I have no master or liege. I don't have to listen to you."

"So why should we listen to you?" Queen Spiderbite snapped.  
"Because I know better than all of you. How long would it take for you all to go at each other's throats? How long before you have a Mewni Civil War? No—shut up." Marco pointed to the royals about to rebuttal him.

Moon frowned.  
The queen glanced at the MHC.  
Marco took notice.

"Hmph, fine. Go ahead. Arrest me." Marco pointed the sword at them, "Make an enemy of me. Fight on two fronts: Mewni and Earth. You can all unite to fight, but know Earth has been hankering for a common enemy for years now, we're getting bored fighting each other. I hate to say it but humans are bred for war and we've been fighting all our lives and history; we've exercised our body, mind and will for such a purpose."

The mewman royals weren't impressed.  
Marco smirked.

"Imagine an entire dimension full of humans comparable to myself, I've fought alongside Star without any relic or magic, I've completed the Trials of Hekapoo and I've beaten Tom with unarmed. Do you really want to piss us off?"

"…yeah."  
"SHUT UP TOM. You don't want me here. I don't want to be here anymore. Let me walk away and you can go back to squabbling amongst yourselves."

"Marco, while your threat is quite troubling…you still let her go. Why are you protecting her?"

"Her? I'm protecting you. All of you. You want to die, pathetically I might add? Eclipsa is no hedge magician. And she's none of your concerns. Take care of your people, they are your foremost responsibility."

Marco looked at the Elementals and they quietly seeped into him, Sylph paused before looking at them all.

 _You'll die screaming. You're just blades of grass thinking you're a forest of thick oak trees to a hurricane._

"You're keeping your dimension Ward free?" Hekapoo questioned.  
"Yes, I am against my better judgment." Marco couldn't shake that cry from his mind.  
"And your Exile? You're not going to come to Mewni but we can come to you?"

Marco smirked, "Yes, you can, after you contact me that is. Otherwise, when I catch you, I'm going to beat you to a pulp and call your kingdom to pick up your sorry ass. And this way you have to police your citizens better, otherwise I'll know you are the ones stirring up trouble with me."

The royals gritted their teeth: Marco made it a situation where if the Mewmans cross dimensions illegally into Earth, Marco could declare war and exact vengeance upon them.

"Are we really going to make Marco walk free? After all he did?"

"Oh my god, yeah you are. Because I already proven I can beat Eclipsa plus Meteora on my own, you are afraid of her so by logic Marco ＞ Eclipsa + Meteora ＞ You. And while I _allegedly_ let Eclipsa go, she's not looking for trouble anymore. The verdict was to put her in indefinite stasis without the chance of parole and in retaliation she beat up Queen Moon, I don't if that's fair but it is what it is."

The sound of wood straining under Moon's fingertips was heard.

"And how will we know you wont cross dimensions into our lands?" King Spiderbite asked, "Especially since you don't use your Dimensional Scissors anymore."

The jab wasn't lost to Hekapoo, she did after all used Marco's own since he left and she did monitor their usage. His sword circumnavigated that problem easily.

Marco pulled a gold nugget from his hoodie and ran it across the Traitor's Sword until it glowed before asking Gnome to shape the nugget.

 _I'm not as good as Automata, but I can try._

The nugget twist and turned, Marco held it aloft as worked itself into 16 rings after a minute before he gave it to all of the royals present. He placed 6 rings on the floor for the Lucitors, Johansens and Spiderbite.

"These rings will herald my arrival to Mewni if I cut a portal and cross it to your dimension, this way NO ONE can lie and is accountable."

"What if it is stolen?"

"Then whoever has it will have to tell the others otherwise you'll know whose been lying to your fellow mewman royals."

Again Marco made it difficult to sabotage the situation.  
The royals looked at Marco, some reluctant others livid.

Marco got a good look at all of them before he turned and left without another word.  
Star watched her best friend go again, she feeling all sorts of terrible.

The royals watched Marco leave before slowly getting up and leaving as well after getting their rings too.

Despite what the blasphemy Marco had caused and said, no royal there could deny that Marco was right in some degree.

"…Marco."  
"…wasteful."

 _Marco Diaz…_

Having a knight in his caliber was an attractive asset to have among their arsenal and army. The Dark Knight was simply put too useful to not have and dangerous at the same time to let run free. If he didn't want to use his talents, skills and authority to the fullest then he should be at the service of another. Plus, he is an excellent deterrent for Eclipsa as well.

The royals were amidst scheming how to get Marco into their pockets, however with him exiling himself stopped that plan prematurely. When they really thought about it he had almost nothing he wanted from them: he was wealthy already, he had power in the form of the Traitor's Sword and was not interested in Mewni politics and affairs.

Put simply, there was nothing to dangle before Marco Diaz he could not already obtain on his own accord.

Still, if they could not have Marco Diaz…then they would make one.

An exceptionally skilled and gifted Knight could best the Queen of Darkness, however this Knight would be loyal to their kingdom respectively. Marco may have thought his actions were a waste but to the royal monarchies…he did something rather grand instead.

Marco Diaz, the Traitor.

Marco Diaz, the Fuck Boi.

Marco Diaz, the Unfortunate.

Marco Diaz, the Foolish Knight.

Marco Diaz, the Delusional.

Marco Diaz, the Misguided Knight.

Marco Diaz, the Fallen Knight.

Marco Diaz, the Dark Knight of Mewni.

They would make Marco Diaz in their image, which would solidify their safety and in turn absolve them of their fears from Marco and Eclipsa. In time, Marco would die, he was mortal after all: a human. A lesser race than the Mewmans. When their chosen Knight had been finally made, Marco would be 'invited' back to Mewni where he would relinquish the Traitor's Sword—no.

The Magnificent Sword of Mewni.

To the rightful hands of the Mewman royal family.  
Their family.

* * *

Marco walked down the hall of the Butterfly Castle, his sword carefully tucked away, trying to block out his outrage and frustration with the Mewni royals. He stopped and took a deep breath.

Inhale.  
Exhale.  
Inhale.  
Exhale.

"…yeah, that doesn't help at all." Marco frowned and continued to walk, ignoring the stunned castle staff. The knights watched him cautiously, a mere glance from him made them touch their weapons, but did nothing else. Marco kept an impassive face, there was some grain of truth what Tom said: this was Mewni, he had no business telling anyone in the dimension how to run themselves.

Still, he didn't want innocent people to die.

He stopped when the Monster Arm scoffed.

 ** _Hey, Marco, uh why don't you let their monarchy worry about them._**

 _And you: worry about yourself._

 ** _You know they are going to the shitter, just let them. Fuck, I get you got a big goddamn heart, so do I! But there has to be a limit to this. It's one thing when you became a Dark Knight and everyone is scared of retaliation, it's another when they know you're not going to kill them and they are still scared. There's no helping that. So why don't you break your baloney curse, slap a condom on and just go fuck Kelly, Hekathicc! Brudda you have how many girls looking for your sweet ass in the multi-dimensions! Shit, some of them are willing to be just casual fuck buddies, but here you are—crawling back for that girl who put me inside of you.  
_** _…  
 **One day, you'll dissolve me and you'll get over that bitch. Then you'll look back and think…I could have been smashing years ago! 'But I had to be the Paragon Knight! I had to be righteous!' ...you are human, you're not perfect…unlike me.  
**I know I'm not perfect…I just want to be a good person. And fuck you.  
 **Yeah, look what that cost: your happiness, your friends lives and you wasting your time. Hmph, at least now, since you cut Mewni from your life, you can focus back on the important things: your bitches and my bitches. So when are you going back to Kelly's? Ooh, while we're at it, swing by Prima I want to spend some time with Musica.**_

The Dark Knight was silent on the requests.  
Not wanting to admit that Monster Arm did had a point, like it did sometimes.  
It took so long before he realized that the sacrifices had cost him dearly.

Pride.  
Guilt.  
Sometimes it was just hard to let go.

 _I'm finishing the Impossible Tasks.  
 **…fuck dude, do whatever you want and whatever you like. Kiss my purple ass while you're at it. Maybe that's an Impossible Task, you limp-dick cuckold shithead.**  
Hahaha!…you won't be missed when I kill you, Monster Arm._

Marco walked through the castle, looking at some bitter but familiar hallways and corridors, he sighed and walked into the courtyard getting some fresh clear air, hoping to clear his head. He paused before shaking his head as if this was expected the moment he stepped out: Sir Lavabo and Higgs were making their way to him.

Just as surprised as he.  
Marco grinned as they came closer.

"Ah. The two Mewmans I sorely wanted to meet. How are you Sir Lavabo? Higgs?"

"Better now, thanks to you." The knight tilted his head.  
"I'm fine."

Marco looked at Higgs then to the sheathed sword in her hand, he glanced at the older knight then back to the squire,

"I'm sure you being in full squire garbs and a sharp sword, you're not here to talk about my health. I'm guessing you want a rematch?"

"I don't want a rematch. I'm _owed_ a rematch."

"Ah. I'm sure you've been dreaming about this for a long time haven't you, Higgs?"

"I have!"

"Good to know I've been on your mind."

Higgs's face turned scarlet in anger and embarrassment, Sir Lavabo face was momentarily stunned but he sagely nodded his head at his student's wordplay, _oho, the boy has truly become a man._

 _I have. Not only as a man of the cloth, but a man of the sheets.  
Nasty.  
 **This is hella nasty, how are you two talking to each other?!**_

"Fuck you, nerd!"

"Peace Higgs, I'm only teasing. Very well, I will indulge your need for a rematch." He pulled out the Traitor's Sword, she scoffed at the sight of it.

"With that sword you'll just shoot fireballs or electrify me and call it quits!"  
Marco blinked.  
"But…but I beat you with this sword, shouldn't I use the same one?"

Higgs gave him a withering glare.

"Pick. Another. One."

"Fine."

Marco pulled on Gnome's blessing and willed out a stone coffin and began to rifle through it. He ignored the two slack-jaw Mewmans as he picked out a sword from the coffin and sunk it back down as Higgs leveled hers at him. The long awaited rematch they were both due 2 years ago.

Higgs got discharged two days ago and she quickly got back to the hard squire lifestyle, she was nearly 18 to boot. Just a few more hard weeks before she could put together her portfolio and work her way into knighthood early, at least she sorely hoped.

She smirked as Marco took a relaxed stance, the sword angled to the ground. Higgs tighten her grip on her sword and glanced to Sir Lavabo, he looked hesitant for a moment before he raised an arm and brought it down,

"Squire Higgs versus Royal Squire Marco, begin your duel!"

Higgs took a step forward, her sword in mid-thrust. Marco tilted his blade and a shine of sunlight race across her face.

The squire immediately brought the sword into guard and Marco took a step forward and brought the blade hard, the metallic ring clear in the air. The mewman squire staggered at the sudden hit and she brought the sword in hard cuts for the human squire, Marco parried and sidestep her advance.

Higgs blinked away the spots in her vision and glared at Marco.

"Can't win without trickery?!"  
"C'mon Higgs, we both know we would do the same." Marco grinned.

The squire grunted and leveled the sword at Marco, she took a step forward and Marco took two and brought the sword in a vicious arc. She saw the strength behind it and sidestep before attempting to cut Marco through his guard, he pivots on his foot and danced away, the blade nicking the air.

Again, Marco delivered another arc, this time Higgs met it the blade. The hit rung down to her arms and bones, the squire grunted as she held off Marco's sword with both hands while he used just his left.

She expected gloating or taunts, but Marco's lips were sealed. His warm brown eyes bored into her, she felt her cheeks tinge with exertion as she tried to hold off the Dark Knight as he leaned into his blade.

Higgs huffed at the added pressure, glancing at his footing before she spun to the right making him falter forward. Smiling viciously, she feinted for a thrust deciding to bodily push Marco back before raining blows on him.

He blinked at the sudden ferocity, blocking the hits and bobbing and weaving the faster ones. Just before she could overwhelm him, he locked her blade with his and held her down, she grinned at his reaction: he was surprised and now on guard. She wasn't some hindrance when he fled; she was a legitimate threat.

Marco leaned and angled the sword, trying to decipher her weak footing but she quickly adjusted leaving them in a tense stalemate. It was now a battle of attrition.

"Hmph, is that all you got, nerd?"

"!?"

Marco pushed forward and slid his foot behind her own, she blinked and tried to untangle herself. Marco's free hand found the front of her tunic and pulled hard, she grunted as she the locked blade got dangerously close to her flesh.

"Grrr, get off me!"

She tried to kick him but he simply shied away and pushed her, she fell back but as she did she tried to jab him but he took a step back, out of reach.

"That's cheating!"  
"Hey, you're the one fighting with both hands, I got a free one and I intend to use it."

Higgs huffed feeling the pressure he managed to exert on her one-handed, but she pushed it out of her mind as she took up her stance again. Marco looked at her before deciding to use both hands, Sir Lavabo noticed it and felt a tad more nervous.

Higgs noticed too and was wary at the change of stance.  
The breezed lapped at their sweat, but they hardly noticed, their eyes locked on each other.

In a single instant, they crossed the distance and the clangs and rings of metal shrieked in the air.

Higgs was putting her form into each swing, measured and sustainable, _just like drill, just like another day…_

Marco seemed to have the same idea and his form was true, they were evenly matched, neither slowing, neither giving ground, neither giving up.

Sir Lavabo's jaw gradually dropped seeing such a fierce display; the two seemingly lost in a conversation of swords, each hit a compliment, each ring a praise, each echo a story of their journey of their skill.

The two weren't even aware how much sweat or the ache in their muscles took their toll on them, they just continued to batter their blades over and over again, no longer senseless din but rather sharp rhythmic peals.

It was if they were just the two people left in the world…  
Marco's eyes met Higgs's, and the two gave their silent affirmation of each other's skills.

Then the moment was gone.

Higgs felt her teeth jitter as Marco's riposte scored across her sword, the following strikes forced her on the defensive, stepping further and further from the Dark Knight. She came at him with determined strikes and follow-ups but Marco held his ground, swatting her blade strokes with ease.

Feeling her strength in wane, Higgs unleashed a flurry of desperate thrusts, jabs, slashes and cuts in varying angles hoping to overwhelm Marco in the last instance.

Blocked.  
Parried.  
Sidestepped.

Her gut dropped when the Dark Knight broke through it and sent her sword spinning out of her hand.  
She shut her eyes as the sword embeds itself into the ground behind her with a thud.

Marco looked at his sword for a moment, nicked and cracked in several places, he discreetly sheathed it, _hmph, a few more hits and this could have been anyone's victory…_

Sir Lavabo clapped happily and mercifully at the end of the duel, thankful no one was injured, but one look at Higgs's closed eyes and pained expression spoke how much she felt.

Marco walked to her, she peeked out with one eye and sighed heavily, "Damnit…I still couldn't beat you…"  
"Not at all, you've proven a capable squire."  
She looked at him ruefully, "Define capable." "Well, you're not dead and no, I wasn't going easy on you, that was my actual swordplay."

 ** _Cut the bullshit, you could have broken her sword in three hits.  
_** _And I know self-control, and I wasn't lying, that was my swordplay skill I exercised.  
 **Yeah-yeah, keep that bullshit to yourself, I know that style is just when you're using a plain sword. That's not going to make her feel any worthier to stand in your dastardly presence, you cuck.**_

Indeed, Higgs wasn't too flattered by the words, Marco refrained from good-guy patting on her shoulder. Sir Lavabo saw the look of the squire and quickly came to his student's aid, "I must say Higgs, I haven't seen that kind of clash in many seasons, truly a sight to behold."

"Gee…thanks." Higgs replied dejected, Sir Lavabo looked at her reproachfully, "Now Squire Higgs, there is nothing to be unhappy about a lost duel." "It will be on my record!"

"Pish, I doubt they'll count it since I'm a 'Dark Knight'." Marco rolled his eyes, "Besides this is a private duel, what you do is your business."

Higgs looked at the two of them before she took a deep breath and sighed, closing her eyes for a moment before opened them up again, beaming and a cocky grin on her face, "Heh, then you admit that I would have bested you then! Hmph, maybe you a tad more endurance, now that I think about it, I was feeling a bit off this morning."

Marco smirked, "Learn to take defeat gracefully." "Heh, I'll get you next time!"

Marco's face fell at the words, Higgs and Sir Lavabo saw this, "What? What's the matter?"

"Well, we'll never get a chance like this again…I'm going on a self-imposed exile from Mewni permanently. I've…'interfered' too much with the workings of the world and I've decided I have done more harm than good."

"Marco?"

He shrugged, "Can't win them all…anyways Higgs I came here to reconcile with you and Sir Lavabo. I appreciated you taking me under your wing when I was forced into your station, I know I never really showed it but I am forever grateful you taught me."

The older knight looked troubled at the words while Higgs was upset, "What on Mewni did you do?!"

"Stepped on too many toes. That and I beat the shit out of Tom. Again. So, I'm calling it quits."

"Sounds like you're running away again."

"Maybe. But whatever happens to Mewni…will be their doing. Ah, before I forget here you go Sir Lavabo, this time they will think twice about kidnapping you."

Marco raised the stone coffin again and pulled out a rather odd broadsword, split down the middle one side was pristine and the other tarnished. The knight took and inspected it, "Um, did you make this? You did well on one side."

"No. I found it but I figured with the Traitor's Sword I could manage with one sword alone. Bare your icy flame, Frost Flame!"

The knight held out the sword as the sword lit up and froze in the other, Higgs stared at it while Sir Lavabo gasped.

"It's a magical sword I found during my travels, use it to fight off another—?"

The older knight handed tried to hand it back but Marco stood perfectly still, instead it went to Higgs before looking at Marco, "I appreciate the gift, truly, but it is in better hands than I."

"What? Why? You're a stalwart knight that I've ever seen! You fought that lint monster by yourself!"

He smiled at the words, "Yes, I was a stalwart knight…but not anymore. What those _dastards_ did to me…the physicians says I'm lucky to be able to perform my duties as the Knight of the Wash, but not as a knight on the battlefield."

Marco's face drained out of color at the words, Higgs looked at him frighten, feeling a roiling heat wave off the Dark Knight, even as she held the Frost Flame. Sir Lavabo took notice and tried to quell the Dark Knight.

"Marco. MARCO. No. Do not go on a path of vengeance. What happened to me was not your fault!"

 _…damnit, I can't tarry here and find those monsters! Fuck, I exiled myself too early!_

"You're right. It's not." Marco said forcefully calm, Sir Lavabo wasn't fooled, "But it still doesn't mean I won't find whoever did this to you." _One way or another…_

Sir Lavabo looked at him, disappointed, "Marco, don't. It won't change anything. Now promise me you won't on the warpath for me." "…fine. If that's what you want, Sir Lavabo."

With that, Marco turned away from Sir Lavabo's accusing eyes, Higgs held on to the sword, unsure what to do with it as Marco's retreating figure gradually disappeared into the distance.

* * *

"FUCK YOU, MEWNI."  
He yelled to no one in particular gaining some surprised and angry looks.

Marco continued to walk down the worn cobblestone road, earning him a variety of faces from the inhabitants: disgust, anger, indifference, recognition, appreciation and in between.

He saw the quick averting of eyes, stiff posture and hand twitching for their sidearms, the Dark Knight couldn't help but feel pity for them. If he started speaking to them they would flee, they would whisper and they would be interrogated for what he said to them.

It was a familiar and saddening sight.

He frowned, knowing what his late mentor would have said to him at the exact situation and the callous laugh that would follow it.

 _You can't save them all, hero…_

Marco's hands tighten at the words, often a taunt, a callous careless answer, a sad reminder…his mentor only said it a painfully few times as genuine comfort to him. His pace quicken, wanting to see less of what he saw as the kingdom's gates were in sight, his mood settling with the thought of seeing his old mentors again. To be in the glade, talking to sensible people and

He's eyes saw something red dart out of sight in the corner of a shop. Marco paused staring at the spot before he continued to walk.

The gate was close, he could see the knights in their shiny armor, their wary eyes on him. He looked at them with a forlorn thought, _I could have been like them…I wonder where I would have ended up if I didn't go 'rogue'…hmph, probably something boring and beneath anything worthwhile seeing how I was treated before…_

His musings was interrupted again when he saw something red darted out of his peripherals. Marco felt eyes on him and he warily glanced back, the denizens were going out of their way to not to be in his path nor meet his eyes. He walked towards the space between the houses and saw red darting out of sight again, Marco looked at the knights before stepping out of sight, drawing his sword and walking down the narrow space.

Ambush.  
That was likely.

The Dark Knight stomped on the ground, sending a subterranean tremor feeling out the area ahead, he frowned when the information led to five individuals waiting for him at the end.

Not spread out nor taking up any tactical positions.  
It looked as if they were waiting for him.

Frowning Marco walked forward, letting the Elementals know about the ambush ahead, they were ready to lend him their blessings; Undine was more or less disinterested with the sudden attack. The Dark Knight looked at the open space, the five red hooded figures waiting for him: no weapons visible, nor did he felt the agitation of magic in the air.

"Sir Marco, we're not adversaries to you, far from it. We just want to talk please." "That's a first." He replied, no at all surprised they knew he was coming.

Marco walked into view, the Traitor's Sword glistening in the sunlight. Instead of flinching in fear, tensing at the sight of the Dark Knight or anything else to show their fright of the human before them, he heard something he would have never expected.

A breath of relief.  
Making a gesture of fortune.  
Whispering a prayer.

"Lord Marco! It's an honor to see you again, and in good health I might add." "Who…?" Marco started but it was cut by all of them saluting him and saying in unison.

"We are the Knights of the Hood."

 ** _Ooh, looks like you got yourself some freaks, brat!_**

Ignoring the comment, the Dark Knight took a better stock of the hooded figures, the general humanoid shape, seeing the varying height and lack of monster traits. Marco looked at the mewmans, at least that's what he assumed, before him garbed in off-color red hoodies to match his own. Many of them looked as if it was some garment before attaching hoods and sleeves onto it, many of them threadbare and patched in several places.

He shook his head in disgust.  
It reminded him of Starfan13's adoration for Star.

"Listen, I don't know what you think you're doing but this is not a game or fad, now take off those hoodies and go back home. Don't make my misfortunes into some fan club of yours."

They flinched at the callous words, many of them looked at Marco with adoration in their eyes.  
They still had it.

"No, Dark Knight. This is your symbol. Our symbol! Please don't take this away."  
"We wear these hoodies in solidarity for you, Lord Marco."

Marco looked at them coldly.

"You know what they did to me? Do you mock me? Do you have any idea what Mewni has done to me?"

The five stood there, shoulders sagging, "Yes. We all were present when Queen Eclipsa knighted you against your will."

Marco blinked. He opened his mouth before he shut it again.  
This was not something he was expecting: sympathy.

"Sir Marco, I know it may seem like a mockery to wear these hoodies, but we wear it because we believe you were wronged!"

"When Eclipsa knighted you, we let fear stop us from speaking up and when you were attacked, we did not stand up for you. But we want to make things right because for two years Mewni slandered your good name and it is not right the an innocent squire is made a scapegoat and guilty for something outside his control."

"If you would have us, Lord Marco, we will serve you faithfully from now till our demise. Whomever you point your sword at or wherever you tread, we will follow you, your enemies are our enemies, you will never be without an ally ever again here on Mewni."

Marco was disturbed at the words. The words were different, but the sentiment…the loyalty…the consequence was all the same to him…  
 _We live…and die…by your command, Studmuffin…_

It sicken Marco.  
Monster Arm laughed at the muddled memories being dredged up.

"No." Marco spat coldly, "NO. Disband. IMMEDIATELY. Your lives are your own, you don't owe me anything. Go back to your lives and forget this…fantasy you all have."

"What?! Why?"  
"It's not a fantasy! We want to fight for you, Lord Marco!"  
"We're strong and skilled, we won't be a burden on you on the battlefield!"

Marco felt the sting of the desperate words, again he was before loyal followers willing to lay down their lives for his. Once again trading their precious lives for his miserable one.

"I SAID NO!" Marco roared, his eyes flashing pain and anger and the members hopped back at the sudden volume increase, all of them surprised. Their eyes looked at him questioning, but they didn't voice it.

"I do not want, nor do not need 'knights' at my command." Marco said deathly serious, his words unmistaken to the KotH members, "If you associate with me, dress like me or sympathize with me you can kiss what ever lives you had goodbye. Mewni has no need for a Dark Knight such as myself and I saw it fit that I will never step foot upon this land forevermore. Cast down those hoodies you have, wipe yourself clean off my history and your fantasy that I am someone who you should rally behind. You are all better off without me."

"…"  
"…"

Marco couldn't make out their faces with the hood lowered, a shadow casting down their faces.

"And we answer no, Marco." came an unemotional unison reply, Marco frowned deeply.

"Why are you letting them kick you while you're down, Sir Marco."  
"You deserve justice, Lord Marco. This…isn't right."  
"You're a hero, not a villain. Don't let them run you through the mire."  
"Do you know what they say about you? I tore all your wanted posters here."  
"We all vowed to protect you, to aid you, to seek justice for you. If you can't do it for whatever reason trivial or not, then we will do it in your stead. Marco, please don't disband us."

Marco shook his head and turned around, "I can't disband you…you already said no."  
And walked away.

The five hooded mewmans looked at the retreating figure, whispering their words, knowing Marco would still hear them,

"…we will wait for you, Lord Marco. No matter how long it takes."

* * *

Marco walked past the walls, he ignored the glaring guards before he stopped, the vast Mewni landscape before him.

"Alright, Star, you can come on out now."

Marco waited.  
Tentative steps reached his ears and he continued to wait.  
Deliberate.  
Slow.  
Steps.

"Marco...? Are you really going exile yourself?"

He sighed, still back turned to her.

"You were there, Star. Every bit of it true."  
"…"

He turned and looked at her, eyes downcast, tears dripping from her face.

"Go back to the castle. Your parents will look for you. Tom will look for you."  
"I…don't want…you to leave." She cried.

Marco felt his heart constrict, every force imaginable pushed him to hug her. Comfort her. Make her feel safe. He glanced to the sky, his eyes on the moon: it flickered blood red.

 _…how could you?_

"…you can bug me anytime on Earth. It's not like…oh yeah…"  
"…please Marco just stay."

Marco shook his head,  
"Mewni is better off without me."  
"I'm not! Do you know I have nightmares?"  
"And I don't?" Marco said quietly, "Star…you—" "I get it, Marco! I get it: you've been on tough times too! But we could have made it better! Why didn't you come back?"

"Why? You know why."  
"I would have listened! I would have…"

Marco sighed and took her hand and walked to the side, sitting down on a log; the Royal Squire and Princess just looked at the scenery before them. Unsure what to do or say, so they let silence reign.

"..."  
"...?"

Marco chewed on his words, Star too distraught to say anything.

"…"  
"Your under your Mom's care now, you've been learning how to run your kingdom?" Marco asked, tired of the monotony.  
"…yes, I've been doing small chores for her. Just like...when with her mom."  
"That's good…where's Glossaryck."  
"He's…somewhere, honestly sometimes I don't find him for days. But he always pops up when I call for him."

"Mhmmm." Marco answered distracted, his eyes flicking to the walls.  
"…how about you, Marco? How's highschool?"  
"It's fine. Just one more year left."  
"I bet you're getting all those 'A's, like before. Have you...moved on?" Star asked, trying to not sound prying.

"No. I'm not dating anyone. Not back together with Jackie. Or Janna. Or anyone."  
"Not even Kelly?"  
"..."

Marco looked at the sky.  
Knowing about their audience.

"Kelly…no, we're not dating, just friends." **_Friends? After what she did for you? Heh, 'friends' indeed._** _Hey. How about shut up._ ** _  
_**"...oh."

"…"  
"…"

Marco sighed and leaned back trying to get comfortable, Star glanced at him before doing the same.

"…"  
"Marco. I love you."

"…I love you too Star."  
"…"

The two sat there taking in the Mewni landscape.  
It was nice.  
Peaceful.

"…I wonder how much of that was us…and not the Blood Moon Dance curse." Marco's eyes welled up with tears.  
"…" Star stifled a sob and covers her face.

Marco hesitated to pat her shoulder.  
He grunted when Star leapt on him, sobbing on him.

"Please…please…make it stop…I don't know who I am...who am I, Marco? Do I love Tom? Do I love you? Why? I can't stop dreaming about you, Marco…I can't stop feeling disgusted touching Tom…when I'm happy, is it because of you? You block your pain from me…but do you block your joy? Can you feel my joy, Marco?"  
"Yes…I feel your joy, Star…when I cradle my dead friend in my arms in the battlefield…I felt so happy I laughed and smiled around my frighten and disgusted WarBand…"

The two laid in the grass, Star rested her head on Marco's chest, hearing the steady comforting heartbeat. Marco resisted the urge to wrap his arms around her.

"…I have to go now, Star."  
"…please don't. Stay…for me…"  
"…I wish I could, but I have to."  
"Is leaving more important than me?"  
"Even after all I've been through…I will not betray my vows to you, Star…if I stayed: Mewni will be in turmoil…it will rip itself apart."

Star looked up at him: blue eyes meeting brown ones.

"I want you to have your choice back…when this curse…this Unbinding is complete…I wonder if we will still feel the same way for each other."  
"…"

Star pulled herself up, eyes puffy and red, Marco softly wiped her tears.  
She leaned in and kissed him softly.  
Marco felt the weight lift off him and saw her quietly walk back to her kingdom.  
The Dark Knight stood up and slashed a portal and walked through, disappearing.

A demon.  
A blacksmith.  
A queen.  
One and another.

Slinking back into the shadows.

The blood moon painfully wept.  
 _I've taken so much from you…and I will take even more…I'm so sorry.  
Please forgive me._

* * *

Marco walked into the oh-so-familiar glade, Oblivion and Buttercup already there waiting for him.

"The Ward just came crashing down. I'm guessing no Ward this time?"  
"Yeah…I don't suppose—?"

The lizard threw him a rather large crystal.

"That's a Tracker Crystal, it will count up to 1 Trillion visitors that comes into your dimension, so long you harmonize it with the rest of the array, it will tell you who your visitor is, description, time logs and all those useful things."

Marco smiled at the crystal.

"I'm fucking up and you're still here…making sure it doesn't bite me in the ass."

Buttercup chuckled, "We're your mentors. Oblivion is your brother. You are my student. Who would want to see family get hurt?"

Marco wiped a tear at the corner of his eye, "Thanks…I needed to hear that. Especially after today."

"Marco…you did what was right, the best course of action. I'm sure you've heard these tired similar wise lines before, but that's why they are so overused. We've given you all we can offer, it's up to you to make these decisions."

"Why not just do it yourselves?"

"The kingdoms hates Lizards."  
"And I practically demolish half of their 'myths', 'legends', 'culture' and 'traditions' just showing my face. No, Marco, we've had our chance to shape history, what we can do is make sure the next generation is best prepared for the future, whatever it may be."

"Thanks."

The two nodded.

"Self-imposed exile, not bad, I know some Dark Knights that did that."

"You still sore you won't learn from us?"  
"Oh. No, I've gotten years to understand what you meant two years ago. I'm sure Mewni will be fine without me."

The two just looked on.  
"You know Marco…even if you do say that…try and sneak your way back here, we have something important you need to undertake."  
"Can't I just do it now?"  
"Buttercup, we're in no rush, let's wait for Marco to come back to Mewni, it's not like the two of us are getting any grayer."

The lizard sighed.  
"Fine. I suppose I could wait until Marco's ready. Will you be though, Oblivion?"  
"I was ready hundreds of years ago!"

Marco looked at them, "Well? Just tell me already, what do you want me to do?"

They made shooing gestures, "When you decide to come back out from retirement, we'll tell you."

"That could be like never." Marco deadpan.

The two laughed.  
" _Sure_."

Marco chuckled and slashed open a portal back to Earth.

"Thanks for everything."  
"Take care, lad. We'll see you when we do."  
"See you soon little brother."

Marco paused before he waved to the two of them before stepping through, knowing what it meant. He glanced back as the portal shrunk, the two nodded at him, encouraging him he did what was right.

"…"  
"…Marco will make a fine Pendragon one day."

 **XxXxXxXxX**

* * *

Chance versus Choice.  
Another theme of the fanfic.

Yup, Marco is exiled from Mewni on his accord. Sad, but it has to be done.  
Guess the royals never learn although to be fair reverse-engineering is a thing, when you have something good, someone will always want to have one too.

Yay, Higgs and Sir Lavabo got to see Marco off! And the Knights of the Hood too, although it's sorta depressing for both parties. And yes, the Frost Flame will belong to Higgs, for the time being, her only momento of her rival.  
Monster Arm is a playa, I'm just saying it said 'bitches', Musica is its main one.

Aha...oh Star, honestly I say I'm soften from Booth Buddies, but how can I stay bitter for so long...well, I still can! I'm still angry over what BMB did to budding relationship...but with the series ending soon, it's best I make some kind of goodness out of it. It's just acceptable in my eyes that Marco got his due, especially since Star initiated it. Marco be kissin' two girls that night~  
It was Nachos he kissed not Kelly ;-P

Just kidding he kissed Kelly that night too.

Oh, Blood Moon Goddess...she's been through a lot too...never had she had dancer so willing to complete the Impossible Tasks and seeing what he was willing to suffer through, oh the inhumanity! In a way, she's in despair, but also in awe that Marco could be so noble. And stupid. But in way Marco wants to break the Binding as no one has been able to, not for pride, fame or anything like that.

The goddess became like that because when dancers want out, it was a slap to her face and purpose in being.  
The goddess would be as overjoyed as she would be in despair that someone broke it, happy someone could but lament at the cost.  
It's strange but that's the Goddess for you, she's seen a remarkable person but sad to see what she put him through.

And last but not least Buttercup and Oblivion.  
Nothing needs to be said, nothing to add on.  
They said it best.

Don't hold back those tears...

 _tu ne me reconnaiss pas?_  
I AM NRG

 **END OF TRANSMISSION**


	16. Chapter 16

.

 **Disclaimer** : wet socks.

 **Chapter 15**

Only a Dark Knight in Name

 **XxXxXxXxX**

* * *

Marco yawned, looking groggily around his room before slumping back on his bed, the Peace Talk meeting replaying in his head from days ago.

The royals.  
The arguments.  
The bullshit.

He sighed and pulled himself up, not content with lazing on his bed on a holiday break.

There wasn't much he could do anyways on Earth, school was a breeze so long as he was there to take the classes, his commitments to his friends and family was manageable. Things had become…easy on Earth.

 _There I go again…I should be happy things are so straight forward here…I should be content…_

 ** _Sounds like you're itching for another adventure, no shame in indulging in your primal instincts, just find a big booty ho—_** _Yeah, shut the fuck up._

Marco could hear the Monster Arm laugh uncontrollably as he got himself ready, he didn't have anything to do for school, he'd finish everything even before he left the school. Janna made it very apparent he should lend her his homework, he brushed her aside but she immediately leapt and piggyback on him. This level of intimacy was normal for Marco now, Janna had begun making more and more reasons to leap and latch on him, he didn't really care, even if the girls did eye Janna enviously.

Jackie made it a point to not be around when that happened.

He sighed as he washed his face and gathered his things and went downstairs and greeted his parents.

Angie and Rafael greeted their son,

"Not off gallivanting across the dimensions today?"

"Mhmmm, I don't have to always leave, Mom."

"That's good, I could use another hand in my shed."

The three talked and had breakfast, going about the morning like any family did, once they had their fill father and son walked to the backyard, Angie sat on a lounge chair and watch the two bond over some project her husband had in mind.

Before helping out with painting the bizarre family project.

.

Marco found himself walking down the boulevard after spending some time with his parents, it was strange to do it sometimes, especially when he felt like he was 33 years old at times. He tried to keep it out of his mind, but it would be dredged up by the disease called Monster Arm to taunt him.

He felt out of place.  
Out of his mind.

In a way he was like Eclipsa, she lived in a time and history that was hostile to her.

Him, he lived past his adolescence into adulthood then put back into adolescence.  
Without the mind wipe.

It made him feel cringy and aloof over juvenile matters but he had to keep reminding himself he was still a teenager. Young and dumb, in a sense.

"C'mon babe, let me show you around."

Marco took notice ahead of him, a muscly dude leaning against the graffiti wall over a sporty blond, she had her back turned to him but he knew she crossed her arms and disapproved at the advances. He narrowed his eyes and got closer, the guy gave him a careless glance before doing a double-take, _he knew him…_

Sensing the guy's dread, the blond glance back and she immediately perked up, Marco felt his heart thump painfully: Jackie Lynn Thomas.

"Hey, Marco!" she waved cheerfully.

Marco waved back and walked towards her, his stride strong and confident, the guy inched back, his attitude changing a great deal from cock-sure to dread.

"Hmph, Marco 'Big-Dick' Diaz…I thought you'd be at that silly dojo…" he muttered, Marco frowned at the nickname.

"Hey man…do I know you?" Marco's words slightly edged, the guy scoffed as if insulted.

"We fought in that tournament, you…" he growled before he cut himself off and stalked away, "Fuckin' Diaz getting all the bitches…"

Marco frowned, unsure if he really did meet the guy, but he pushed it out of his mind and he glanced back to Jackie who was wearing everything running spandex, her red headband drenched in sweat as flicked her wet bangs from her face.

"Bitches. Pfft, you're the only bitch I see…" Jackie muttered to herself, she smiled at him, "Thanks Marco, that dude has been stalking my running routes for weeks, hopefully this will teach him." Jackie said; she ran the back of her hand under her chin before flicking off the sweat,

"Gross. Anyways thanks for showing up when you did, dude."

"Yeah…yeah no problem." Marco said distractedly, Jackie gave him an impish smirk,  
"You done gawking, Diaz~?"  
 ** _The fuck he is! Keep your eyes on the prize—hey look back!_**

"Yeah, sorry, didn't mean to." Marco shook his head, his face reddens at his action, Jackie grinned before jutting a thumb over her shoulder, "C'mon, let me treat you to something." "Ah, no, that's not necessary Jackie."

"C'mon dude, you got that guy off my tail for a few weeks, that's—" "What any friend would do."

Jackie paused at the words. And looked at him seriously in the eye, "You're too modest sometimes, Marco."

"I was better off like that…" Marco said quietly before the two walked silently to a recently built cafe. The patrons immediately glued their gaze on the sweating and scantily clad Jackie, Marco scoffed and threw his hoodie over Jackie who took it warmly.

"Thanks Marco, didn't want to be gawked at while I have a protein shake." she said a little louder than she intended.  
"Yeah, don't mention it. You know you can take it to go." As the two walked through the cafe.

Jackie and Marco sat across each other in the booth, she dabbed a napkin across her wet face, pausing over her cute freckles.

"Nah, besides when was the last time we got to talk like this? Especially when you're not so stiff with me."  
 ** _Oh, gurl, who don't know how stiff this guy is right now. He is absolutely rigid!_**

"Well…okay you got me, Jackie, I've been avoiding you and giving you space, I'm you're ex after all."  
"Doesn't mean you can't be my friend." Jackie shot back, Marco slumped his shoulders, feeling reprimanded. She frowned at his subdued energy.

"..."  
"Hey, what's bugging you?"

Marco snapped his mouth close when the waitress came, Jackie gave her very complex and comprehensive protein shake order to which the waitress took without a hitch.

Marco ordered for a glass of water.

"He'll have a Tall french vanilla sweet cream cold brew with two shots of expresso with two pumps of mocha, a splash of maple pecan sauce, a scoop of happiness, a handful of 'cheer up dude', a shot of Patrón, a side of squad/friend goals, salt the rim with vanilla powder stir it so all the pity won't make it soggy and topped with whipped cream and a caramel drizzle. And a diet water, he wants to watch his figure."

The waitress nodded at the order and skipped behind the bar.

Marco just stared at Jackie; surprised how cool and collected she was with him. She grinned before wiping herself with his hoodie, giving him a wink.

 ** _…okay, explain to me slowly why did you dump her again?  
_** _…she dumped me.  
 **Ah. I just love that story. Tell it to me again, Marco.**_

"…Jackie, I…am not drinking what you ordered me."  
"Dude, trust me, you'll like it. _Trust me_."

Marco weakly nodded as she patted herself down until she was near sweat free, the spandex though stuck to her like second skin.

"Gawking again~" Jackie chided, but it was starting to get her a tad more bothered. She discreetly hoped nothing perked up overly.  
"Sorry." Marco quickly mumbled.  
"Mhmmm, so where have you been? You look like—" "Shit, I know."  
"…I was gonna say down in the dumps. Wow, Marco you're really moody." Jackie's lighthearted attitude changing, Marco groaned and banged his head on the table.

"…"  
"Want to talk about it?"  
"…Jackie, what if I told you I'm 33 years old."  
"You act mature Marco, but you're not 33 years old."  
"I meant I'm 33 years old mentally."  
"…really trying to sound mature."  
"…you know when I jump across dimensions time passes differently? Well, one dimension I stayed in I spent 16 years there…in the span of 8 minutes."  
"…"

Jackie looked at Marco as he pulled himself up, he didn't meet her eyes, "I feel…out of place sometimes…out of time more like it…it's just hard to adjust and readjust to a life I was so ready…to let go."

"…is that one of the reasons you want to say made us break up? It wasn't always about Star?"  
"…hah, no, I coped well enough just sometimes it pours out unexpectedly…like I would be irritable over trivial things when in reality it isn't. I'm sorry, Jackie if I was a bad boyfriend."  
"…thanks Marco for opening up about this…would have liked to known 3 years ago but I understand. And don't apologize, you were an amazing boyfriend, you were just…tied up, that's all."

Marco fiddled with his hands as Jackie simply looked at him before glancing out the window, she paused seeing Janna walking down the sidewalk before she spotted her. She waved before she saw Marco and a strange look came across her face.

Jackie watched as her friend cross the street and entered the cafe, she made a beeline for their booth, a too friendly grin on her face, "Jackie, Marco, out on a date?"

"Ah, no, we just bumped into each other." Marco answered before Jackie could, somehow he could feel Jackie's apprehension for some reason. Janna made scooting gesture's to him and he made space for her to sit, once sat down her hand slid over his leg then into his inner thigh, he looked down in surprise before she pulled her hand back.

"So Jackie how's your run?" gesturing to her get up, the blonde shrugged, "It was cut short."

Janna's eyes slightly quiver to Marco's direction at the answer.

"…Janna why did you—"  
"Marco, guess what happened this morning."

The two looked at each other before looking back to Janna.

"Star called me. Plus a 1000+ texts and spam mail from off dimension telecommunication services killed my phone and ran up my bill."  
"Oh, that. Yeah, the Ward came crashing down some time ago, expect some energetic people coming back…and backlog text messages to reach you."

Jackie frowned, "Ward? What is that?"

"When I came back from Mewni I set up a Ward for 2 years meaning no one could enter or leave—I am an exception cause I made it and now since it's gone everything will be spilling over including dimensional communications."  
"Star's coming back?" Jackie asked, Janna didn't look too thrilled at the news.  
"Dunno, if she did…but I doubt it." Marco sighed before the drinks came, he slid the water to Janna while he looked at his drink, looking almost…normal.

He looked at Jackie before taking a sip, he took another, then another before he smacked his lips, "Wow…that's actually pretty good."

"Told you." Jackie grinned, Janna smiled too, her eyes on her friend.

Marco sipped his drink, Jackie and Janna making small talk with each other.

He looked out the window, seeing the people of Echo Creek bustle along with their lives…their normal lives…

Marco felt his mind muddle at the thought…

* * *

 **[After getting his Parent's Permission to Dimensional Travel Again, 2 Years Ago]**

* * *

Marco took the Traitor's Sword, looking over the glistening metal for a moment before glancing back to his home, he was in the backyard, the cactus garden over to the side.

He inhaled deeply before aiming the blade to an empty space, he roared and rend the blade across the space and he felt the Ward split before the might of the relic sword. He looked at the rift before pulled on the gear all over his body, strapped to him was a backpack filled with things he would need and 3 days worth of food.

He wasn't going to be gone long but he didn't know how much time would pass in the dimensions he was going to visit.

He looked at the rift again before he harden his heart to leaving Earth again and into the fray, he leapt through the rift and closed it behind him.

Taking out the map and instructions of his mentor, Buttercup, he made more series of cuts until he was in the domain of the first Knight that the Lizard insisted he learned from: the Blight Knight. He gagged at the noxious gasses erupting from the ground, he looked around tearfully as the lonesome trees stood weakly after so many infections and the land brittle and riddled with cracks and poor nourishment.

He pulled out a gas mask and strapped it on, he breathed mercifully before moving across the land, averting his gaze on unfortunate remains of humanoids and animals, vegetation suffered, twisted gnarly and blemished with all sorts of blight. He looked towards the distance, the gases giving the place an ugly green tint to a faraway castle and made his way there, glancing at a gauge for his mask filter before he had to change it again.

The closer he got to the castle, the more putrid and festering was the land, even the mask was having a hard time filtering the noxious gases. He waved the Traitor's Sword around and saw it shimmer and the gases were smothered away, Marco cocked his arm back and swung, like a whirlwind the gases were temporarily gone and Marco quickly ran for it before the clean space was once again engulfed. He did it again and again, creating pockets of fresh air before he the castle loomed before him, he glanced at the sentries, each in tarnished armor and weapons to match.

"Hello, er, greetings, I am Marco Diaz, Dark Knight of Mewni. I have come here to seek audience with the Lord of this…er, fine castle."

"…" "…"

"…okay, so I'll just let myself in."

One of the sentries moved and Marco raised his sword into guard, however the sentry merely leaned to the side and fell, the helm rolling off to reveal a festering corpse. Marco glanced at the other one and kicked it and it too came tumbling over and it was a corpse filled with worms.

Marco looked at it disgusted before he walked through the castle, it looked as if it was ransacked and the inhabitants left in a great hurry, the place reek of death, foul fungus, noxious gas and battle. The bodies of former knights littered the place, Marco looked at the trails for a moment before he rolled away as a massive mass fell from the ceiling and spat corroding acid at him.

He let out a savage arc, splitting it in two.

The mass immediately spat more acid at him and he rushed forward and drove the blade through both and pulled it free.

It writhed as if trying to close the wound but it eventually stopped moving, Marco looked at the Traitor's Sword and wiggled it free of its guts and moved on.

Again he was befelled by foul beasts, twisted somehow by the noxious environment and thrived, some were fungus, others masses of quivering mucus, some feral wolves that didn't die from the rotten flesh and things he wasn't so sure of. He hacked them away and tried not to use anything to spark and flame an explosion he wasn't in the mood to be blown half to bits.

He continued to explore the castle until he happen upon the Throne Room, he was riddled with sweat and no doubt stank from the nasty gas, he looked at his hoodie and even it started to turn a sickly green as was his skin, no doubt he was being poisoned. He hammered on the massive doors before he sighed and slashed it open and walked through, he blinked seeing the room devoid of anything that was afflicted elsewhere in the castle.

He looked around the richly decorated room before he saw someone sitting on the throne, he walked forward, tearing off the mask and taking in the fresh clean air. The figure lazily yawned and stood up, sizing up the person before snaking out a rather elegant sword from the hip.

"Ah, a visitor. To what do I have the pleasure of this meeting?" a male voice rang out, perfectly calm, clear and laid back if not for the drawn sword Marco would have bought it.

Marco stopped and looked at the figure more closely don in dented and tarnished armor, it was as if the armor was fished out of a swamp and half-heartedly dried before being put on.

"I am Marco Diaz, I have come here to seek audience with the Blight Knight of this realm."

The figure chuckled before bowing.

"Well met, Marco Diaz, I am Sir Thane Gilded da Vane. I am the Blight Knight you seek."

Marco could feel a strange aura around the knight, he tried to peer into the helm but he could not make out the eyes that scrutinize him.

"I was told by my teacher to seek you out, I wish to be taught by you as I have done with my teachers."  
"And who are they?"  
"Hailing from the Mewni dimension, Marrow-Eater "Buttercup" a Lizard Historian and Oblivion Pendragon a Dark Knight."

The knight tilted its head at the last teacher before slowly walking around Marco, he felt the eyes drawn to the Traitor's Sword.

"Hmmm…to think that sword would surface once again…" Thane whispered, he stopped in front of Marco, his eyes still obscured by his helm, "If they were your teachers, then you must be a Dark Knight correct?"

"Yes, I am."  
"Wrong. You are not Dark Knight, not yet." Thane corrected him, Marco frowned.

"Dark Knights are knights of great skill, great authority and fearsome reputation. When you first arrived, I had no idea who you were, a looter perhaps. Had you been a true Dark Knight I would have known who you were the moment you set foot into my castle. Even less when you kicked those two sentries."

Marco felt his blood slightly boil.  
Thane took notice.

"Peace Marco, I'm simply pointing out fact. No need to get angry." Thane drawled, "I may not know you now, however you may have done some noteworthy feats before coming here, so if you're someone of consequence then I shall teach you my fearsome craft."

Marco inhaled and exhaled, calming himself, he didn't have much under his belt but he could change the Blight Knight's mind with his feats.

He began to list them off.

Fought alongside Princess Star Butterfly.  
He was a Royal Squire of Princess Star Butterfly.  
Knighted by Oblivion Pendragon.  
Made Dark Knight by Queen Eclipsa Butterfly.  
Master of the Traitor's Sword.  
Completed Hekapoo's Dimensional Scissor Trial.  
Fought an army of wolf bears.  
Mastermind a 'revolution' in a princess reform school.  
A red belt in karate.  
Fights Mewni Monsters barehanded daily.  
Defeated Rhombulus.  
Trapped Omnitraxus Prime.  
Defeated Hekapoo.  
Defeated Tom Lucitor.  
Fights spell monstrosities daily.  
Survived Monster Arm.  
Survived a fight with Mina Loveberry.  
Student to Buttercup and Oblivion Pendragon.  
Punched a hole through Toffee.  
Led a resistance cell during the Mewni War.  
Won a game of Flags with the Johansen and Butterfly Family.

Marco prattle on about other 'lesser' accomplishments however after the first few, Thane merely walked back to his throne and sat on it, his chin resting on his metal fist.

"Enough." Thane called out a minute later, Marco paused and waited for Thane who sighed heavily and sat up straight.

"Marco, I do find your feats…amusing at best, the only ones that I have taken note of is that you wield the…Traitor's Sword? _Call it something better, by the way_. Were on your way to be a full-fledged Knight, took part in some wars and a student of a Pendragon. Everything else is rubbish."

Marco looked at the knight in quiet shock, Thane shrugged, "I'm sorry, but you did not fit my criteria to be my student. Although, you're still young you might want to get yourself into more adventures then you may come back again and give me a rousing tale of your exploits."

Marco stood there dumbfounded.

"You wont teach me…because I haven't proven myself? Has not all I have gone through been enough to show how serious I am to be apprentice to you?"

"You're not the first to come to me and ask to be my _humble_ student. We higher knights must make very critical selection of our students…lest they run amok and it fall upon their teachers to rein them in…"

Marco could feel the steel in his voice.  
As if his answer was final. For now.

"So that's it. You won't teach me."

The Blight Knight sighed and waved him off.

"My answer is final. Seek another teacher if you wish. But do come back and tell me of your exploits, if you think it grand enough."

Marco looked at the Blight Knight for a long moment, feeling the aura around him change. He drew his sword and slashed open a portal and walked through.

* * *

After dodging Alfonzo and Ferguson, Marco looked at his map and glanced back to the home planet of the Blood Knight.

It was like a massive battle scar on the planet and every denizen was there fighting each other Fight Club style. The clamoring of battle, duels and brawls were deafening the moment he landed on the red barren planet, he had to fight off three angry humanoids before he could survey the place properly.

Those who weren't fighting were busy nursing their injuries so they could get back into the thick of it again.

Marco was appalled to see even children were getting riled up enough to partake in the gory bloodbath along with the adults. He throttled a woman who kicked a wee child just so she could leap on a juggernaut's back with a shank.

At first Marco thought it was madness...watching everyone descend into almost an organized ritualistic bloodbath, but when he saw even reluctant participants he knew something else was going on. So he pushed, shoved, threw and outrun would be rioters and fighters until he saw what looked like a lavish tent amongst the poorly made ones.

He dusted himself and watched where he stepped; sometimes pools of blood or even a person were crunched in the traffic. He desperately tried to get some order in the crowd but that just simply resulted with him being turned into a punching bag before he actually fought back.

At the end of it he had a split fat lip, his nose bleeding and a black eye along with dust and whatnot thrown all over him. He was tempted to bring forth the Traitor's Sword but until he knew what was going on, he would cut down…'innocent' bystanders. Every time he tried to stop the fighting or pull a losing-battler out of harm's way he would irrevocably be pulled into a brawl and he would walk away with more injuries than he started with.

It was…hard to look away.

But whatever was going on even he was starting to feel riled up, ready to jump in a crowd and beat them senseless. Revel in the blood…the adrenaline…the fury he would unleash…HIS VENGEFUL WRATH.

Marco shook his head at the thought, ducking as a man tried to punch him in the gob before he delivered an uppercut and sent him flying, whoever was watching cheered before they too were attacked.

He plowed through the crowd until he was at the entrance of the tent, the guards there were battle scarred and already had blood on them. They eyed him hungrily, Marco already fed up with the fighting to get to the tent roared at them,

"I DEMAND AUDIENCE WITH THE BLOOD KNIGHT!"

The guards roared in unison and pulled the tent flap back, Marco grunted as something very large and very painful collided with him.

Marco grunted as he rolled to his feet, a large bruiser grinned at him savagely before attempting to tackle he again, he met his charge only to leapfrog over the brute and pulled out the sword.

The bruiser rammed through a crowd before appearing once again before Marco, he pointed the sword at him and he grinned.

Then it fell.

"That's…why that's the bloody sword ain't it?" he brushed his long and wild blood matted hair aside.

"So you know what it is!?" Marco yelled, spittle apparent. The bruiser smirked, "Aye, and to think I could meet my demise at the end of a legendary sword such is that! Ahhh, alright come on in, let's talk…boy to Blood Knight."

Marco blinked as the bruiser laughed and casually walked into the tent, he glanced around seeing the immediate fighters pausing long enough to look at him before getting back to their brawl.

Marco frowned and entered the tent, it wasn't furnished if anything it just looked like the Blood Knight just suddenly showed up, threw whatever he didn't like, ate his fill, drank the beer liquor and spirits and then shit on the corner and wiped his ass with the canvas.

He looked at the Blood Knight currently punching a man before tossing him out via a torn hole in the side of the massive tent.

"Ah! Boy! Good for you to make it!"  
"Am I…late for something?"

"No! NO! You're here in the perfect time! The Blood Bath Festival just started! Oh the glorious fights and the blood that will be spilled! Just imagine the entire world at war with itself!"

Marco stared at the bruiser, suddenly realizing the Blood Knight meant every word he spoke.

"The entire world…will be just like this? Why? How?!"

The bruiser shrugged, "That's how it is~ sooo…you wanna throw down with yours truly? C'mon, you're strong, let's punch each other black and blue!"

Marco glared at him, "I came here at the behest of my teachers Buttercup and Oblivion Pendragon to learn from the Blood Knight, I hope you're not the only one I can take tutelage from."

The man stroked his chin, his red eyes peering down on him, "Well…there are other Blood Knights but not at my caliber, they are small fries, you wont get what you're looking for from them. I, on the other hand, can teach you as my student."

Marco sighed, "Alright, thank you."

"Mhmmm, no problem, but you're not the only one, okay?" "Wait what?"

The bruiser grinned, "Everyone on this planet is my student! That means you're gonna have to share my knowledge! Kidding! I only take one student and I only take the best~ if you want my tutelage boy, then you're gonna have to beat everyone on this planet to a meaty bloody pulp! One student, one Blood Knight!"

"You've gotta to be kidding me."  
"It's the fairest most purest way there is: culling through combat! Beat or kill your fellow students and be my star pupil…uhhh?"  
"Marco Diaz. Dark Knight." He said through gritted teeth.

The bruiser laughed at the words, "Dark Knight!? That's rich! Well, I am Callan the Blood Knight, your teacher!"

Marco looked at the knight, it didn't bother him that dozens were dying outside or that he wanted him to kill and be violent and be the only one standing in the end. _Is this the price I must pay…?_

"No. I can't. I can't afford your tuition. I won't just slaughter my way through these people…they must be in some trance? A spell? No one in their right minds would just start killing each other over, over _this_?!"

Callan laughed boisterously, "Ahahaha! Oh _Dark Knight_ , you took the words right out of my mouth~ **YOU SPINELESS COWARD. GET OUT OF MY SIGHT LEST YOU WET MY BLADES**."

Marco flinched when Callan easily pulled a massive broadsword from a weapons rack and pointed it at him with a single hand.

"BEGONE COWARD."  
 ** _It's THOT, you pleb._**

Marco looked at him, standing his ground for a second before he ripped a portal open and walked through, ignoring the Blood Knight's triumphant grunting akin to a gorrilla.

* * *

Marco felt sick.

His mentors sent him to be taught by three knights and two of the three proved to be fruitless.  
The third, the Death Knight…did not make him feel any better of the current track record.

He looked at the Death Knight's residence...a Necropolis. Graveyards everywhere, empty houses, skeletons and the corpses lying in the open, the Traitor's Sword was on display as Marco walked slightly faster than usual in the empty streets.

He was sure there was some daylight left when he entered however the moment he did the sky decided to darken into a mixture of blue, indigo, purple and black. Not one star winked above him.

The unnatural evening made him on edge as he walked bristly through the Necropolis, set his sights on the large castle somewhat in the center. He paused seeing a shadow dart in an alleyway but he didn't stick around to find out what it was, trick of the eye or not, he felt even his steps echo frighteningly long and a clash would do him no favors.

He broke out into a jog, his eyes darting left and right, he swore, _he swore_ he heard someone say something.

Marco looked over his shoulder.  
He nearly jumped when he _thought_ he saw a shadow standing right behind him.

"…!" he turned back and brought the sword into guard as a shadow past him over head, he looked back and saw it was something small but definitely alive.

"This place is going to give me a damn heart attack…" Marco muttered.

He thought saw something move.  
He ignored it the best he could.

The Dark Knight got closer and closer to the castle, he started to see strange contraptions something akin to a golem…but made out of bones. Marco looked around the square, the fountain and homes were awfully damaged years prior, he examined the foot traffic and saw prints that looked alien.

He frowned as more of the contraptions were actually strewn all over the bridge leading to the castle, the river dried up with it cracked and more skeletons there as well. Marco walked through the threshold and looked at the ominous castle, it had a worn paved road leading to it and he merely followed it, this time in no rush.

It was a lot more open but it was still littered with signs of battle, Marco frowned seeing what the three knights had in common: they chose really shitty places to live in.

He continued to way the path, pausing at places where knights and warriors made their last stands before he found himself in the castle's entrance, again sentries were there but this time Marco ignored them and went in. The place was hollowly empty, both in persons and furniture, it was if the place was hurriedly cleaned up with several window broken. What creep him out was the floating candles that didn't even flicker when he blew into one.

Marco walked through the hallways, the rooms before he found himself walking up a flight of stairs, he sorely hoped to reach the throne room and greet the Death Knight and not get turned down.

 _"He isn't…"_

Marco froze at the words and looked around, his eyes trying to pinpoint the whisper, but all around him was just blank spaces of wall. He frowned and continued on his path, feeling suddenly very _not_ alone in the castle…

 _"…turn back…"_

Marco gulped and pushed forward, he entered the room and felt his guts curl.  
It was a throne room all right.  
Stripped of everything that would lavish it only leaving more floating candles and piles of bones.

Even the throne had bones piled on it, bleach white with a sword

Marco leapt back as the pile moved and stood up the sword moving too, the Dark Knight felt an overwhelming sense of dread wash through the place as he mistook the bones as just that.

 **"Welcome to my domain."**

Male. Haughty. Direct.

Marco was ready to turn back but as the bones shift and snapped he realized that it was a suit of armor made entire out of skeletal fragments, he could spy metal work interlace with it. Marco rested his sword, razor tip to the floor and announced himself,

"I AM DARK KNIGHT, MARCO DIAZ—"  
 **"Understood. Stop yelling."**

"Ah—right. Sorry."

The knight looked at him before taking off his helm and dropped it to the floor, his face pale but artistically sculpted, his hair bleached white, gray-blue eyes lingered over him.

 **"Hmmm, that sword…The Sword of Pendragon…ah, you must be student to one, the last time I saw that sword it was carried by that noble bloodline."**

"I am: he was Oblivion Pendragon. I am student to the Lizard Historian Buttercup as well. I was sent here to be your student."

The knight raise a brow.

 **"Sent here?"** the knight furrowed his brow, **"Marco, was it? How very presumptuous of you. And your teachers."**

"Alright, I had enough!" Marco growled, "I've gone to the Blight Knight and the Blood Knight to seek tutelage and I have received the same reaction to whom I am student to! Not two of the three explained their reasoning! I mean my reputation was lackluster? I was unwilling to kill other students?! What are you guys even?!"

The knight looked at him.  
Indifferent.

 **"Your frustration is noted. And discarded. It seems your teachers told you to seek us out, however I believe they misunderstand who we are: we are the Knightly Order. We DO NOT take our pupils carelessly or without great considerations. With the way you are reacting to a little discomfort and inconvenience: I say it's right that you were turned down. I already disapprove of you."**

Marco got ready to snarl but was thrown off his feet and slammed into the wall. The Traitor's Sword appearing in his hand a moment later, the knight frowned.

 **"Marc—oh? You wish to do battle with me? Fine."**

Marco fell to his feet and he readied himself, the knight had his helm remade by the bones around him and it fit itself on him.

 **"PREPARE YOURSELF, _DARK KNIGHT_ MARCO DIAZ, YOU FACE DUNCAN FEL SIN."**

Marco threw the sword and teleported across the room, he grabbed it in midair and threw an arc, the Death Knight raised a hand and a hundred skeletons erupted from the floor and formed a shield to block it.

Marco leapt back as the skeletons then broke free and charged at him, he cut them down without hesitation and began clear them out to see Duncan watching him silently.

He growled and threw the sword at him, Duncan dodged it but Marco warped a second later and kicked him in the side.

Or would have if the Death Knight didn't catch his foot and threw him into the ceiling.

Marco willed himself and warped himself back to his sword in the ground, he panted feeling the drainage before Duncan kicked him in the ribs sending him skidding across the floor.

 **"Is that all you have, _Dark Knight_?"**

Marco stood up feeling the welt in the ribs before he channeled the Traitor's Sword,

FIREBRAND!

The sword lit up with fire and Marco dashed forward, nearly blurring but Duncan merely waved a hand and the floor jut diagonally and he misstep in the last second and he crashed to the floor.

 **"Is this your first time fighting someone who wont take it easy on you because you're their student? Or fighting some hedge creature? Or fighting the unwary or untrained? Is this your first proper fight with a knight, boy?"**

Marco grunted as he got to his feet and pulled up the sword, "Who cares!?"  
He sent a blazing arc and Duncan waved a hand, a dark green smoky arc smothered the attack.

 **"Wasteful. You know…I'm surprised the sword took you as its master, untrained, undisciplined and not ambitious. You have the Sword of Pendragon, I was expecting nothing short of a hero of yore, but you're just a boy."**

ICEBRAND!

 **"Oh? You're using more? In my domain?"**

Marco flung the sword arc and Duncan crushed it with his fist as easily he would with paper. He blinked and wobbled, he panted as Duncan walked closer,

 **"Fighting a Knight in their domain is never a good idea, we draw our power from our residency and even from our foes. I've been sapping your strength for a while now, I may not be able to read your mind at my leisure but your stench and vitality has told me much. You're a fearsome warrior…with time."**

Marco coughed as he began to hear whispering again.

Louder.  
More distinct.  
And sad. *they sound like Navi*

 **"Those are my Shades. I tried to warn you to turn back but it seems you Ward your mind so it was hard to get you to leave, honestly only when you were in the castle did it manage to manifest in the physical plane. You're lucky you're not dead yet, that sword takes a massive toll on you and foolishly fighting me made it worse."**

"..." Marco could feel his anger ebbing away, his guts cold at the words, but he refused to grovel even as the Death Knight towered above his prone form.

"...alright get up, I think you're ready to make your case about being my student. You have the strength to withstand being in my Necropolis, you're not without hope." Duncan snapped his fingers.

Marco felt the coldness leave him and he blinked, he looked up to see Duncan walking back to his throne and sitting on it. Marco gingerly stood up and recovered his sword, rubbing the bruise in his ribs,

"...what perquisite do I need to be your student?"

"Convince me. Tell me exactly WHY you should be my student." he said flatly.

Marco frowned at the words, he thought it would be something ridiculous like the last 2 but it was very straight forward, he thought of the best reasons before he answered, resisting the urge to jump when he saw someone peek behind from the throne.

"Death Knight Duncan Fel Sin...I beseech you to teach me your knightly craft. I have trained long and hard under the tutelage of Oblivion Pendragon and Buttercup, learning their ways of life and have proven that I am a capable knight in their eyes. I have...imbalanced a dimension and the coming battles and wars will spill blood of the innocent as much as the deserving, they do not need to suffer for the mistakes of another. I want to prevent unnecessary deaths as much as I can help it. I'll learn from you and uphold your belief, standards and creed-"

 **"Enough. Marco, those are good reasons to be trained under my care, however that falls abyssal short of what I asked. CONVINCE ME."**

Marco felt dried mouth, he looked at the Death Knight unsure what he wanted...

"Is...is not the fact that I'm going to save a dimension from countless battles and wars not enough? That I am owning up to my mistakes, taking responsibility?"

 **"Admirable, boy. But why should I care? I fail to see how one insignificant dimension automatically makes you worthy to be my student. No—shut up. I have myriad hopeful students come to me before because they had the same problem: something they did they want remedied. My powers will not solve ALL your problems no matter how awesome it may be. And your scope of ambition is poor."**

Marco stared at him at a loss.

Duncan sighed.

 **"Being my student means more than having the powers to just fix a prior mistake. As a Death Knight you WILL dispense Death upon those deserving AND those who are not, it is not a duty I easily give to anyone, and not just in your dimension or two...but upon all dimensions. You are an extension of my will and with that sword of yours you could do it with a snap of your fingers, you will become an Angel of Death...but I can already sense that troubles you greatly.**

 **My powers comes with a price just like any other. That sword of yours devours your vitality and if you're not careful it will consume you entirely.**

 **You have the warning. Now will you still drink the poison."**

"..."

Marco stood there mutely.  
Duncan shook his head and spoke clearly.

 **"You're not yet ready for these Knightly powers, Marco. However, you are not without hope nor potential. To this end you may call yourself a 'Dark Knight'…but we do not allow you to have the same authority like ourselves nor you to be among our ranks."**

"…how does that even work?"

 **"Take a seat, young Marco."** Behind him a skeletal chair was made, Marco looked at it before looking at the Death Knight. There was so much turmoil and anxiety within him, as if not learning from the Knightly Order would break him down. As if his entire being was banking on their tutelage, he frowned seeing the still standing boy.

 **"…Marco, when you are feeling more comfortable taking criticism: return. Until then, do not do anything foolish. And don't hold resentment because we refused your application to be taught. It may be destined you forged your own path, be a knight of your own making."**

Marco looked at him stonily before he cut a portal open and walked through.

Duncan sighed, waving a hand as the entire castle shifted and repaired itself a skeleton bringing him a goblet of wine, he took a deep draught and wiped his lips with the back of his gauntlet, smearing his pale lips red.

 **"Alright. Let the next one in."**

* * *

 **[FLASHBACK OVER]**

* * *

 **[Somewhere in Mewni]**

Queen Spiderbite looked at the destruction before her and looked to where her creation had fled.

After using the Iron Bull Arachnid's body to open the hidden blood pit chambers beneath the castle, she used the blood she swiped from Tom's duel with Marco to create a masterpiece...it took some time and some failed attempts but she was with the results...

Shape of Marco...  
But all Mewman...

She bit her lip.

…only for it to be taken away.

She watched angrily, seeing the shadow blending into the dark horizon,

"We dreamt of creating Mewni's strongest Mewman…and we succeeded…"

 **XxXxXxXxX**

* * *

And now...the Flashback Chapters...  
Also sprinkling some current events. I need to push the timetable a lot sooner than I predicted because things-happen.

Like the title of the new chapters, it will largely show Marco's journey to become an unadulterated badass.  
And the horrors that shaped him into an Edge Lord.  
And all the burning questions avid readers keep asking:

How did Marco rediscover Prima/Prime?  
Who is the Mercenary StudMuffin?  
How did Marco win the Elemental's and Concept's help?  
Which Elemental did Marco meet first?  
Who are the Immortals?  
What is the Lies of Glossaryrck?  
What else is hidden in Prima/Prime?  
What did Marco do for 2 years?  
How did Marco establish Sinful Sips even though he's a minor?  
Where is Waldo!?  
Who did Marco encounter?  
Why didn't Hekapoo recognize Marco while he was a Merc?  
Why did Marco babysit Eclipsa + Meteora?  
How did he get his Warband?  
Which Impossible Tasks did he completed?  
Did Marco really turn into a purple fire breathing Werewolf?  
Who are Monster Arm's bitches?!

Stay tune and find out!  
Smash that review button!

 _tu ne me reconnaiss pas?_  
I AM NRG

 **END OF TRANSMISSION**


	17. Chapter 17

**Disclaimer:** it's in the bottom this time.

 **Chapter 16**

The Devil's Fruit

 **XxXxXxXxX**

* * *

Marco sat on a drifting asteroid, his eyes downcast on the Pendragon Sword.

The urge to throw it into the void was so powerful; knowing he could call it back made him feel no better.

"…"

He mentally berated himself for even entertaining the thought, leaning back and looking at the black canvas speckled with stars, this sword

Marco yelped as the sword zapped him, he shook his head in disbelief: it was as if it could hear his thoughts. He poked it experimentally before he put it back in it's sheathe, feeling better there was a layer separating them.

He felt like a failure.

At the same time, if the plan was to make him follow his own path why bother sending him to the knights in the first place? Something didn't add up…

Marco sighed and laid on the rock, he watched the stars in the vast space canvas as he drifted along, trying to chart a new path for himself…but he was at a loss. What could he do? What could he learn that would match the education of the Knightly Order? There had to be some society or—or academy where he could supplement his fragile human body with magical arsenal or enhancement.

Marco exhaled loudly and just thought what led up to this moment…  
His heart painfully throbbed at the thought of being ousted by Mewni then hiding behind his Ward.

It…wasn't right.

Was he wrong? Were they right? No right answers. No guiding teachers to scold him for his actions.  
He was lost in his thoughts…unsure how long he stayed there, gazing longingly at the stars…

 _…_

 _I can't stay on this rock forever…for now I better find myself a decent teacher to learn from…maybe a sword master or gunslinger, someone whose seen plenty of battle so I can learn to use the weapons they use. Come to think of it…I better learn from a lot of teachers, yeah, and not just for fighting, even monks and scholars would do._

Marco sat up ready to leave when the asteroid bumped into something causing him to jolt along with it. He looked around and saw nothing but the blackness of the vast space.

He blinked seeing a void, no stars lingered there.

"What the—?"

Marco tentatively reached out and touched the void, he retracted his hand feeling something hard and…alive.

 **Mighty brave of you to caress me…**

Marco looked around alarmed as the void spoke and began to unwind itself, he pulled the sword free and aimed it at the massive star-blotting void, feeling it suffocate everything around him.

"What? What is this!? Who are you?!"

Marco lit the sword aflame and held it high to see just pitch-black, he looked around seeing more and more of the stars being engulfed by the void. He readied to slash open a portal and flee but the void spoke again, talking to him with familiarity,

 **Is that you, boy? You've grown.**

"…?"

 **No…you're not him.**

Marco gulped as the tone turned frigid.

 **WHO ARE YOU.**

"…I am…Marco Diaz."

The void didn't respond, Marco looked around him before 6 massive green eyes snapped open and peered down on him.

 **Marco…Diaz…ah, another boy has stumble upon me. Curious.**

"What…who are you?"

The void moved again, as if unwinding before the stars shone again over head, Marco blinked as his eyes adjusted and stared at the massive sight before him: a near pitch-black dragon, wings stretching for miles, scales sizes of football fields and the glowing green eyes as bright as the sun.

 **I AM THE FELL DRAGON.  
** **HOW DID YOU HAPPEN UPON MY DOMAIN?**

Marco felt compelled to answer the dragon, he resisted for a moment before he realized something: the dragon not once opened its maw.

"Are you…speaking directly into my head…?"

 **YES. UNLESS YOU SPEAK DRACONIC THEN WE'LL BE IN AN IMPASSE. NOW: SPEAK.**

Again Marco felt the massive urge, the command broke down any notion of resistance, despite Buttercup's and Oblivion's teachings on mental defense, it felt as if the dragon moved it aside. His sword was sheathed.

And so Marco spoke, answering any question the dragon asked:  
his home, his lineage, his occupation, the who, what, why, when and how of every event Marco could consciously answer.

He spoke until his voice grew hoarse.  
And still he told the dragon what it wanted.

The dragon's interest was quite piqued by Marco's recent exploits: his teachers, this 'Mewni' dimension, his battles, his dilemma and his search for the Knightly Order and the end result.

The dragon laughed making his blood boil.

 **Peace Marco…I know you better than you know yourself…at least for now.  
** **Tell me: do you know why they refuse to teach you?**

"I…didn't…" Marco croaked the dragon apologized before somehow making him a pitcher, Marco sealed his mouth shut. The dragon raised a talon and the water seeped into Marco's throat via his nostrils, filling his mouth with watery booger juice before it seeped into his belly.

 **Sorry. But I am…extremely curious now.**

Marco nearly hurled out his stomach as he coughed, the dragon was positively frightening, it had overpowered him so easily, mentally taking hold of him and making materials out of thin air. Whatever was this dragon…he'd better flee the moment he could.

 **Not like that would make a difference boy. I know where you live and who you know.**

Marco flinched.

 **Peace, Marco. I have no intention of interrupting your life, I am more than content to just have you here for a moment. You think me malicious, well yes, I am a malicious dragon however…I've grown quite bored with the universe as of late, nothing much left to do with it, I could sweep my wing and watch the stars flicker out of existence: dimensions, galaxies and other universes just vanishing. But what would be the point.**

 **Ah, but back to my earlier question.**

"…no, I don't know why I was refused. Their requirements seemed so—"

 **It's the sword, Marco. They recognize it, they know who your teacher is, they know what will become of you.**

"And what is that? What will I become?"

 **A King. Ah, before you refuse and say it's not possible, I didn't say what kind of 'King'. If you think marrying your darling Star Butterfly will make you a King, yes, I suppose it would but they see you as a King of something else.**

 **And they are afraid what you could become with that much power. Turning you away was also a mercy AND a learning experience, they want you to be strong in your belief, just and independent; they can't afford to have you be in one single Knightly Order seat, you would imbalance it.**

"…"

 **Chin up, boy, it's not the end of the world if you do not have a Knight as your teacher. Find another worthy one, however…might I suggest a…sinister one?**

Marco looked at the dragon apprehensively.

 **Not me. I'm too old to rough house with an infant. No, I mean find a teacher who…isn't afraid to 'bend' the notion of rules. You are born with a good heart, that will always shine through, just like your determination so I can rightly predict no matter how much blood you spill…being knee deep in bodies…you won't ever stay 'evil' for very long.**

"I can't do that!"

 **Why? You're a Dark Knight. In Mewman context you did the grisly work in the battlefield while the other knights [Paladins] only stepped in when necessary. When wet work is demanded; you answer the call because sometimes there is 'no just cause'…you need to understand that.**

 **You're a sheet over a masterpiece with little dabs of colors…a few poked holes…it's not pretty but once you tear that off…you will know who you are.**

 **And this, well, it will just help you along the way.**

Marco stared as a simple green apple fell to his feet, he tentatively picked it up and looked at it, the dragon blinked slowly.

 **Take a bite of that fruit…and I'll imbue you with some of my ancient powers, you've already seen how powerful it is…as a gift, for entertaining me for a moment.**

"…just like that?" Marco questioned, it nodded, "…you're a Fell Dragon…does that mean I'll be a Dragon Knight?"

 **The term you're looking for is Fell Knight, Dragon Knight is just silly. Hmmm, now that I think about it; there hasn't been a Fell Knight since the Eon Wars.**

Marco looked at the fruit for a moment, "What _powers_ would I have?"

 **My brand of Fell works in conjunction with the Knight, meaning the more dire situation you are in the manifestations of my Fell will work to overcome it. Expect it to flare up if you're in a particularly foul mood, your brown eyes will be replaced with my burning green, the white of your eyes will be pitch black to match my strong hide, in short you'll be a fearsome in appearance as well as power.**

 _The powers would be ambiguous at best then…  
_ ** _Marco, I don't normally stop you from doing something stupid but: DO NOT EAT THAT FRUIT._**

 _Why?  
_ ** _I may be a malicious leeching parasite disease of a spell…but even I know a bad deal when I see one. Eat that and there will be no turning back._**

 **Ah, so the worm finally speaks. Afraid my powers would just kill you outright when it manifests? It doesn't like roommates.**

Monster Arm fell silent.  
Marco thought over the words of Monster Arm.

"Everything has a price…what's the price of using your powers?"

 **Simple: you use it once; you use it again. And again. And again. Until, well, you can't stop using it, completely and utterly reliant on it, the idea of using another power would be…abhorrent to you.**

"That terrible…what happens if I don't use it? Never use it?"

 **Hmmm, you know what temptation is right? The same with the powers of the Blight, Blood and Death Knight, you will master every aspect and facet of it…but you will never touch anything else, master no new powers or seek it out. You will be completely owned by the power.**

 **If you don't use it…well it will linger, leave it out to dry for too long and the Fell will reject your pleas to use it, so having it is no more dangerous than not having it. Oh, and it won't pass on to your children, this pact would be between us, you have my word.**

A talon made a mark on it's scale. It glowed vile green.

"…"

Marco took a bite of it before dropping the apple, turning into ash.  
He spat out the piece and spit the residue and glared at the dragon, it chuckled.

 **Take care not to use my Fell recklessly; and consider my advice…**

The dragon flapped its massive wings and Marco was knocked off his feet. He was sent flying through the void, he yelled as flew through empty space the dragon roared and felt something opened behind him.

He grunted when he bounced on Kelly's bed and flopping on the floor.

"Whose there!?"

Kelly came into view with a massive claymore. She frowned seeing Marco weakly wave to her, a bath towel wrapped around her, a towel wrapped around her hair as well.

"Dude, seriously?"  
"Sorry…"

Kelly ruefully shook her head and walked to the bathroom, "What kind of trouble did you get yourself in now?" she called out.

Marco thought over what the dragon had said.

"You know anything about Fell Knights?"

 **XxXxXxXxX**

* * *

So I'm messing with the Chapter formula a bit:

 **Current Events** [Jackie + Janna] + **Flashback/Development Arc** [some action] + **PLOT BOMB** = Avid Readers not happy?  
I'm going to perfect this formula to really bring out the best of this chapters, so for this chapter I only put the middle part and see what the results are. I'm going to guess: something bad.

These updates are coming fast now, since I'm cranking them out under 5K but just getting these tidbits into the lore will make for an easier Mewni Civil War, wont it?

 _tu ne me reconnaiss pas?_  
I AM NRG

 **END OF TRANSMISSION**


	18. Chapter 18

**.  
Disclaimer: **it's in the bottom this time.

 **Chapter 17**

Nothing but Fury

 **XxXxXxXxX**

* * *

"So Jackie, I heard you got yourself a new boy toy~"  
"Janna, that's really rude! He's just a guy whose…trying to get to know me." Her eyes darting to Marco.

Janna waved her hand, as if Jackie's discomfort made no difference to her. She was smiling too widely at her…

"C'mon, what's his name, I want to know if I already stalked him."  
"JANNA!"

Janna just continued to hold her friendly smile.

Marco seemed to be zoning out of the conversation, his eyes looking out the window. Jackie fidgeted, whispering,

"Keaton Grey."  
"Yup. Followed him to one of his practices."

Jackie's jaw dropped.

"Brunet jock, thinks Love Sentence is cool; pens an 'X' on his V-line."  
"Gosh, Janna get a different hobby!"

Janna leaned back, smug with herself as Jackie's face turned beet red at her keen observation.  
She didn't know he did that!

Jackie gave her a reproachful look, Janna shrugged before glancing at Marco,

"I'm just teasing her, right Marco? Marco. Marco?"

He didn't seem to budge, he didn't say anything for hot minute now did the two thought about it.

"Marco? Heeello~?" she had waved her hand in front of Marco and he didn't so much as twitch.  
"Janna, Janna! Don't! He's spaced out."

He was all glassy eyed, his chin resting on his fist, he was like a frozen Adonis statue.

Janna reached for him before Jackie caught it.

"Don't! He'll be really confused, I don't want to cause a scene…"  
"Well, we can't just have a Marco statue staring out of the window, who knows how many women would get swooned." Janna answered in mock irritation.

Internally, Janna was very worried about that.

Janna pulled out her phone and quickly look online what to do. She normally put people into trances, but she always knew how to get them out with the code word: chickenbutt.

She paused.

"Chicken butt."

Someone in the other booth slid down their chair like a wet noodle.

"Damnit, I need to stop making the code word the same thing…" Janna muttered as the cafe maid easily put the guy back on his seat.

Jackie gave her a funny look, she shrugged, "It was worth a try."

"Well? What should we do?"

"Alright, alright, it said either wait for them to break it themselves OR we give them a hard jolt. I'm not in the mood for a karate chop from the resident bad boy so I say we wait it out."

The two looked at Marco.

"Damn…looks like he's in a really deep trance…I like it, Brooding Marco its is a good look on him."  
"…we better keep him company until he snaps out of it. Um, miss? Can we get a plate of macaroons?" Jackie trying not to think of Janna's last comment.

The cafe maid did a thumbs up.

Jackie looked at Marco worriedly, he finished 3/4 of his drink before he stopped and glanced out the window. Janna nicked it and slurped up the rest, she was in bliss, she had indirectly swap spit with Marco and in front of Jackie to boot!

Jackie frowned as Janna took to the drink too quickly and almost _orgasmically_?

The two sat there in silence until the macaroons showed up and they ate it tentatively, unsure what to do except wait.

Unbeknownst to them, Marco's eyes were mirthlessly cold.

* * *

 **Two years ago…**

* * *

"I said 'no', I don't have time to babysit you."  
"I saved your life, you owe—"

Marco flinched as the mercenary pointed a pistol to his head, his eyes boring into his own,

"I don't normally kill those who help me, but I'm very willing to make an exception; today."  
"…"

Marco could see the slight tension in the finger, his hand on Traitor's Sword tightening.

Which was faster:

His Warp or the bullet.

Marco felt his guts twist painfully, the sound of thunder in his ears as he narrowly evaded the bullet that would have surely ripped though his brain.

The mercenary wasn't surprised it didn't work and rolled away as Marco came crashing down with the sword from above, he leveled it at him.

"That's some nifty tech you got there…"  
"No tech: just a very judgmental mystic sword."

He raise a brow, "I don't believe you."

"Look, I saved your life, the least you can do is teach me something useful."  
"Fine: get lost. I do appreciate not made into swiss cheese but I ain't taking some baby back pissant under my care."

Marco looked at the mercenary before cutting a portal behind him and slipped through.

* * *

"Holy fuck, what are you doing here."  
"I came for what I'm owed."

The mercenary spat to the side before downing his drink, "I already told you: get lost." "I'm not going anywhere because now I know you're the best merc in this dimension."

The mercenary looked at him quietly, before glancing to the barkeep, then back to him, "You know who I am then."

"StudMuffin. Mercenary Extraordinaire."

"Fuck, that does sound stupid. That's the last time I name myself, leave it to a bard or minstrel…"

Marco stood there as StudMuffin got his drink refilled, "You better wipe that frown off your gob, this isn't a place for children, go back to your parents, live a good life. This life isn't for whiny little bitches!"

The merc held up his drink and the bar erupted in cheers, he laughed and down it before glancing back at him. Marco was still there.

"Hah…get out of here."

* * *

"Fuck outta here!"  
StudMuffin growled as he swung his knife into open space.  
The kid had slipped through a portal.

* * *

StudMuffin fired at Marco, he deftly warped away and avoided more gunfire before taking cover.

"How long are you going to keep this up."  
"…"

The mercenary had tangled with Marco at least a dozen times now, he had to admit Marco wasn't without potential, but he wasn't about to tell him that. The little sack of shit was eating into his down time and business hours; he was ready to put a cap in his head.

Marco lunged out and threw the sword, he snarled and pulled out his revolver, that blasted sword was impervious to anything he could threw at it and it did a great job cutting through some of his gun barrels. More than once he'd grab it only to be given the worse taser of his life before the boy warped in and sucker punch him before running away.

So instead he quick draw fired, emptying all six rounds.

The metallic 'tings' rang in the merc's.

Followed by Marco crashing head first into the ground, his sword out of reach.

StudMuffin was already crossing ground the moment he finished firing, knowing Marco would teleport to the sword but also miscalculating what he had done to the sword's trajectory. The bullets did absolutely nothing to the sword, but that six shots moved the sword far enough to which when Marco warped his legs would be smashing into the dirt.

Marco scrambled to his feet but the merc had enough, he kicked Marco over and planted his knee over his throat, the revolver over his heart and another pistol at the sword.

"Fuckin' predictable!" StudMuffin snarled at the panting boy, he pressed his knee harder hearing Marco wheeze, "I've given you plenty of warnings and plenty of chances to find a different merc to shadow: what do you want from me?!"

"To learn from you!" Marco wheezed, his face turning blue, StudMuffin growled pressing even harder.

"There are plenty of mercs out here willing to take a kid like you…go bother them."

Marco gasped for breath.  
StudMuffin held his knee, he pressed the revolver barrel harder into Marco's chest.

He didn't even flinch when the sword appeared in Marco's hand and pressed into his armor plating over his heart.

StudMuffin glared into Marco's bloodshot eyes.  
Determination burned in them.  
Cold, mirthless eyes bored back: DO IT.

Marco passed out.  
And the sword dropped from his fingers.

* * *

He sat up, gasping for air, his hand over his throat, feeling a definite bruise.  
Marco looked to the side, StudMuffin was tending to a small fire, he glanced at him before shaking his head.

"Lie back down. You don't want another ass beating."

"…why—" He coughed hard, the merc shook his head again.

"It's not mercy, more like reluctant curiousity: why the fuck do you keep coming back."  
"You're the best merc…around here." Marco cleared his throat.

"Kid, the best merc tends to be the bloodiest. And the worst."  
"..."

"I don't know what you're looking for so tell it to me now so I can decided if I will give a fuck."  
"I need a teacher."  
"Then get out of here, ain't no respectable teachers here."

StudMuffin spit into the fire before he realized what Marco was alluding to, "Oh, fuck no. Fuck you, kid. My profession isn't some badge you put on when you want to; it's for life. Who the fuck sent you."  
"…a dragon."  
"Then you better go back and tan its hind."

The merc looked at Marco for a moment, shaking his head again, looking every bit angry and reluctant, "I should have shot him in the head…" he muttered to himself.

"You gonna come back here if I say no?"  
"Yes."

StudMuffin pulled out his pistol and cock it and aimed it at Marco, "Last chance: leave."  
"N—"

Unconsciously, Marco summoned the sword and narrowly deflected the shot, his heart hammering, _this son of bitch!_

"…"  
"…"

StudMuffin didn't lower the pistol.  
Marco's sword gleamed in the light of the fire.  
Both of their eyes illuminated by the campfire.

"Fuckin'…fine, FINE. Put that sword away, Marco. You want to learn from me so badly, then you better take what I teach you seriously."  
"…I will."  
"Yeah…I bet you do." StudMuffin snarled, standing up and kicking dirt into the fire, leaving the two in darkness.

"I live by a very specific set of rules. You will too, as long as I teach you my profession."

And those rules would come to haunt Marco.

* * *

Marco kept his eyes forward, StudMuffin walked ahead of him. He tried to blot out the noise of the most malicious and downright horrendous things around him. The first time he walked through the place, he thought the merc was trying to rile him up, to his surprise that was exactly what he was doing to him.

"You better learn to recognize that mercs takes jobs from anyone: so long as they can pay them in return. We don't have fancy guilds and honest establishments to line our pockets here, you learn to take jobs no matter the contractor, no matter the job, you can not afford to be picky."

Marco wanted to stuff his ears with wax as the many, many voices cried out for help.

Pleading they were taken from their homes.  
They were prisoners.  
Hostages.  
Crying children.  
Naked men and women.  
Bleeding, ragged and crippled.

His first visit he followed his innate instincts.  
StudMuffin grabbed him by the hoodie and threw him into the ground, then promptly offered the vendor to kick him while was down. He glared at StudMuffin but he looked back at him…disappointed.

His second visit ended up the same, only this time Marco fought back.  
He rubbed burn mark StudMuffin rammed the smoking gun barrel into his ribs, he blocked the shot but the follow-up was faster than he could evade. The merc looked at him coldly, there on the ground was a madden vendor who promptly seized the opportunity to punch Marco repeatedly until he was unconscious.

The last image was sad, despair-ridden eyes.

This was his tenth visit, he memorized the route and avoided the many attractions of the marketplace. The merc didn't bother glancing back to his shadow, it took some time but eventually he understood the lesson why he would walk him through the marketplace before going to his hideout.

The Meat Market was a wonderful…ly twisted place to get Marco off his high horse.  
Oh, the things he said when they reached his hideout the first time.

"Those were people! PEOPLE! People were being sold to another person!" Marco roared.  
"Yes, Marco, I can clearly see." The merc said bored as he inspected his hideout, checking if any of his booby-traps were set off.

"This is—!" Marco's voice rising.  
"What? Atrocious? Bad? Wrong?" StudMuffin listed off, disinterested.  
"YES!"

StudMuffin gave him the look of annoyed disbelief.  
"Those people were being auction off! This is slavery! This is inhumane!"  
"What's your point, Marco."

Marco looked at _him_ in disbelief.  
"What the fuck—what the fuck do you mean?! What kind of dimension would allow this?! Where's the government?! The damn police!?"  
"We have none of those. This is a No Man's Land, a place where mercenaries live and thrive, just like any other place; millions upon millions of this place. Now that you're done whining come over here I need to teach you—really?"

Marco stomped over and pulled a pistol off the wall and pointed it at his face.  
"We're stopping this auction operation and we're going to burn down—!"

StudMuffin twisted out of the way at the same time wrenching the pistol from his grasp before promptly slamming Marco into the ground.

"Marco, you asked to learn from me, I'm keeping my end of then deal so you better damn uphold yours; this is what you signed up for. This place is not a nice place, no different from any other. You think a mercenary's life is glamorous: it's not. We will do jobs that will make your stomach turn, we will do jobs that are morally wrong; we do it for a paycheck, to put food on our table, so we can practice our trade and to drown in our vices so we can be numb to it the next fuckin' day. We are no different from the thief that works three houses down who would steal from his friends and family or the whore in the corner of the street whose been there since she lost her family. There is no honest job where no one gets hurt, it's a cutthroat life here and anywhere else; if you think different then you're naïve and wrong. Now, get on your damn feet and listen to what I'm going to teach."

StudMuffin watched Marco stand up, still defiant. Still naïve.  
"This is a broom. Fucking sweep the floor."

* * *

"Marco…who is this."  
"He got caught in the blast so I—"

StudMuffin quickdraw and blew apart the front of his skull.  
Marco just stared at the bloody remains of what used to be a living person.

 **[No witnesses]**

.

It was suppose to be an easy job…  
Just get into the place and take the damn briefcase back.

Marco looked at the dead hired hand StudMuffin brought along.  
He spared someone. They told the guards.  
Now there was a dead body.

"What did I say about witnesses, Marco."  
"…no witnesses." he said quietly.

* * *

Marco ran through the foreign market, dodging traffic before tackling the target, he kicked and tried to slash Marco with a dagger he pulled off his shoulder but Marco quickly brought the flat side of his sword down on his wrist breaking it.

"ARGH! YOU DAMN MERC!" he snarled, his hand limp.

Marco rolled away as he tried to pull out his pistol and shoot him, he glanced around and saw StudMuffin casually watching, his client behind him.

Marco twisted away from the gunfire, the market already moving to adjust to the fight, vendors going behind their reinforced stalls or if they were brave, watched the brawl in the open.

"Hurry the fuck up, Marco, you're on work hours."  
"I KNOW!"

Marco spun and broke the other wrist and the guy roared in pain, turning tail and ready to dart into the crowd.

Marco pulled out a pair of bolas and threw it, tripping the assailant, StudMuffin clapped slowly as the two walked towards the struggling man. The crowd of people resuming their work, as if it was just another day.

"That him…that him…" a small voice, but all dark.

Marco looked at the little girl in soiled rags hiding behind StudMuffin, she put a bounty for this man's head but when the two investigated they found out the girl had not only lied about the man's bounty but also had no money to pay for such a task.

Marco insisted they do it anyways and StudMuffin grunted, "Fine. But this is on you, all of it."  
The girl deserved justice but she had no means to achieve it.

The man exhaled loudly on the ground, Marco pointed the sword threateningly at him, "You killed this girl's parents now—"

StudMuffin wasn't at all alarmed when two small hands pulled out his pistol and ran to the man and pressed the barrel into his stomach. Marco froze as the little girl pulled the trigger and put 6 rounds of hot lead into the man's stomach before he pried her away, the man cursing for a few desperate seconds before he was just meat.

"DIE! DIE! DIE!" she sobbed, StudMuffin pulled the gun free from her too small hands and re-holster it. Marco gave the merc a glare as the little girl just hung limply in his arms, the merc knelt and looked at her.

"There's your justice."  
"…"

He looked at Marco, he glared back,  
"Don't act surprised, this was going to end one of two ways: a dead man or a dead girl."  
"It should have been neither."

The merc shrugged, "She'll grow up to hunt that man down years from now, you saved her from doing that."

"..." Marco's eyes soften.

"See, when I say it like that, vengeance sounds alright."

Marco shook his head dispassionately.

"Now, little one: pay Marco."  
"What? No, this is the right thing to do."

StudMuffin gave him a death glare.

 **[Never work for free]**

The girl looked at Marco, her eyes demure but the merc tilted her head back to him, "That's not how this works. You wanted him caught. Marco did. You killed him and that's none of our business. Now pay up."

Marco was ready to stop StudMuffin but the girl slowly pulled out an old pocket watch and put it into his hands,  
"That Papa's." "Well, now it's Marco's. Catch. It's worthless but you can sell it for scrap parts."

The little girl said nothing and walked away.  
Disappearing from view.

Marco looked at the small pocket-watch, it was dented here and there, he opened it and saw the glass cracked; the clock not even ticking away. He stuffed it into his pocket.

"…"  
"You work free once then everyone will demand you do."

* * *

Marco stood there.  
He was listening to Meat Market vendor.  
The merc frowned, looking at the product.

"—and here we have ourselves a 'princess'!" a malnourished young woman was shoved into the stage, dressed in thin rags hanging off her, "Take her home today and she'll be more than happy to make you her King!"

The crowd roared with approval and laughter.

"See something you like, boy."  
Rhetorical.

The merc could already see his shoulders shaking with anger.  
He forced Marco to watch the auctions ever so often.  
For at least an hour.  
The product showcase was a large selection, obviously the better ones were kept behind closed door auctions, these were a clearance sale.

Marco knew the joys and pains of life.  
He could smell it off him.

And the merc waited for the inevitable.

 **[The Next Day]**

Marco kicked the door down and tackled StudMuffin.  
The merc slapped the punches for his face as Marco viciously tried to beat his brains out.

"WHY?!"  
"It was a job. An easy one. You should work on your—"

He grabbed Marco's cocked arm and pulled him down, his elbow striking his temple and he casually rolled him off.

"That girl you helped escape; her legs are broken now. Thanks to you now she'll go even more cheaply." the merc said coolly.  
"BECAUSE OF YOU! SHE COULD HAVE BEEN FREE!" Marco summoned the sword but StudMuffin was too quick and kicked his hand before grabbing him and throwing him atop the table, it gave way like poorly assembled Ikea furniture.

StudMuffin pulled him up and punched him before throwing him back down, the heel of his boot on his head.

"If you were so intent on setting her free then she wouldn't have been caught. What's the first thing you did? Knock out the guards, but didn't kill them, so they reported what happened. You left witnesses like the girls in the other cages so of course they talked. You at least disguised yourself, so good for you. But you brought her to the place she wanted instead of a place she could blend in, a place you were only familiar with then maybe she would never been found.  
You were sloppy, careless and shortsighted. That's why I caught her in less than a day and dragged her back here."

He tossed a gold coin on the ground, Marco watched it roll on the wooden floor.  
"Payment."  
"…I'll kill you."  
"Bitch, I could do that right now to you." He pressed harder, "Yeah, your sword will cut me down, but not before I give you permanent brain damage."

StudMuffin boot fell as Marco warped.  
He glared at the merc.  
StudMuffin shrugged.

"Before you set someone free, be sure you know who the fuck they are first."  
"And who was she?"  
"A criminal. She poses as a princess before stabbing her victims and looting the body."  
"Then why sell her?!"  
"We mediate ourselves and we have our own brand of the 'justice system', this isn't your home dimension, Marco, so you better learn _our norms_ while you're here, tourist. Now, this is a broom—"  
"Yeah, I fuckin' know that."  
"—and shove it up your ass."  
"…"

Marco turned his back to the merc and walked out.

"Go back and see where she ended up. Be guilty if you want. And if you ever want to defy me again, fine; but for fuck sake's do it right."

* * *

"StudMuffin, I'm—whoa!"  
"Close the door, boy!"  
"WHO IS THAT?" came a startled feminine voice.

Marco swiftly closed the door before yelling behind the safety of it, the merc balls deep with one of his lady friends.  
"His son!"  
"Fuck you!"

* * *

StudMuffin looked at Marco, beaten up again by the Meat Market bruisers.  
He was plenty famous now for stirring up trouble.

"I have put up with your defiance, stubbornness, naivety and downright insubordination for weeks, Marco."

"..."

"…I wanted to wait for you to say it on your accord, but I'm done bullshitting you: tell me exactly why you chose me."

"..."

"Fine, I'll say it: because I'm not only the best merc around, I'm the 'worst' of them all. You don't want to say it, but you know learning from a respectable mercenary wont teach you jack shit. So you jumped in the deep end. Ironically, that's what this place is called, the Deep End."

Silence.  
StudMuffin glared at him.

"Those mercenaries told you to take jobs that pays good, that has the low perchance to violence, that lets you help others. But you already know that. You already _do_ that. Then you came to the stark realization that these mercs can't help you, they shy away from the ugliness the profession comes with. And here we are."

Marco was livid.  
But he didn't deny it.  
He didn't even want to contest it.

StudMuffin looked at him for a long minute, he sighed and sat down,  
"This expositional talking is fucking great, Marco, especially when it seems like I'm talking to a brick wall. Fuck your problems and sit down; you need to learn your tools, equipment and weapons and how to maintain them; because at least one of us has pull their weight."

Marco glared at the stoic face of StudMuffin, his skull mask somewhere in the hideout.

"…"

"Like a child not understanding the world around you, but that's second to what you really want: you want to know, don't you? If you're capable of it." He said without looking.

StudMuffin leaned forward, his scarred face twisting into maniacal sadistic glee,  
"You want to know if you're capable of being _evil_."

Marco said nothing.

"You've never killed in cold-blood before, such a legendary weapon and not one drop of blood on it to your name, that aggravates you doesn't it? Marco Diaz, you've been put in situations where you question yourself. You think this lifestyle will give you the glimpse of that, it's ugly but is it evil?"

Marco stood there, he chewed his words, like a child being reprimanded by an older sibling.

"Do I look like a damn mind-reader? Spit it out already."

"I've been possessed by dark magic; had a malicious sentient wart put into me and now carry a title of a history stained in blood. If I am not evil, then I am tainted by it."

"Howling fuck, listen to yourself. If you think that so true, here take my revolver and blow your brains out."

"Fuck you, you heartless merc!"  
"Then get the fuck out of here, Marco. You're wasting my time and yours. You came here to learn from me yet you squander my lessons over and over again."  
"WHAT LESSONS!? You kill bystanders?! Take money from the poor?!"

StudMuffin lost his usual disinterested face, he looked deathly somber,  
"I've taught you more than that, don't you fuckin' lie.  
How about I taught you how to think before you act, you impulsive child. Just because something horrible is in front of you shouldn't mean you lose your composure. You show weakness and your enemies will exploit it until you're cornered and dead. I taught you to stealthy go about your business as to NOT bring bystanders into the damn crossfire lest they are taken, tortured and divulge information on us. Not to endanger yourself with others especially when you DO NOT know who they are or the situation and die along with them. You might have known these lessons before, Marco, in a different light and different perspective but it can come in so many forms that you are blind to it."

Marco nearly bowed his head, but StudMuffin caught the subtle head tilt.

"Besides those lessons...I taught you how to use a pistol, how to treat your injuries…I want to teach you how to fight using all the weapons I know…teach you how to strategize, methods to obtain information, infiltration, espionage, who to deal with in the mercenary world, how to choose a bounty or post, I can teach you the works."

"…"

"But that would amount to shit as you are now. It may be cruel to force you witness the Meat Market, but you can not help yourself, _hero_. You wanted to learn from me, as a Mercenary you're going to see and do things that you're not proud of; you're going ask yourself time and time again what the hell are you doing. And you will buckle from all you have wrought from battlefield to the next. So if you can not stomach the horrors of your actions, if you can not withstand the weight of your guilt and consequences then it is all wasted; you're better off with someone else."

"But—"  
"You can't save them all, hero…"  
"I can try."  
"…then get ready to be disappointed. Guilt…is a heavy burden." The merc sighed.  
"You would know?"

A strange look came across the merc's face.

"…I do."

* * *

Marco never fully agreed to StudMuffin's methodology, but he couldn't deny that the merc skill was peerless, even his hostile peers begrudgingly respected him. The mercenary had to have magical enhancement or had something supernatural about him.

Or juice.

"No. I've fought magicians before, but their powers are flimsy and unreliable, Marco. Listen well: you can fake a reputation, have the most elite weapons and armor but you can't fake raw skill, talent or discipline. If my opponents aren't wary when I have a spoon then its no different if I have a gun pointed at their head. Unlike you Marco, without that sword you're just a kid playing mercenary."

"But you use all of those." Marco frowned, gesturing to the side.

The merc looked at the weapons on the wall and shrugged, "Even if I don't have those when I fight, I can still be triumphant and that's the difference: if I'm nothing without my gear then they are my biggest weakness. Take it away and am I still a threat?"

The merc let Marco think about what he said before rifling through the pile of bounties on the table before sighing,

"Alright, get up. What's your sword arm?"  
"My right."

The merc cuffed himself to Marco, giving him a wooden dagger to his left hand and him with his right.

"…I'm not left handed."  
"Learn."

 **[There is no such thing as too many skills]**

And the coming weeks he added more and more to his list.  
From learning on the job, during their down time, on transit, on the field and even as he sewed himself up while the merc listed off things he would have to know for a new job. Marco took all that he was taught, he may not have liked what he learned…but he had come into terms with it.

He just sincerely hoped he wouldn't have to ever use it.

* * *

"Marco?"  
"StudMuffin…you look old."

The merc spit to the side, "Fuck you, you've been gone for 5 years, shit sack. I thought you died in a ditch somewhere."

Marco blinked, "What? No, I was here yesterday."

The merc gave him a funny look, he looked at his face, "Vapid bitch, you haven't aged at all…"  
"…"

He was brought up to speed by merc, finding out so much had happened in the span of the day he was gone. He had a sickening feeling form in his gut along with just a horrid thought drifting through his head.

 _Would he go through what had happened in Hekapoo's dimension all over again?_

He resisted to go back home, worried that the next time he visited another 5 years would have passed for StudMuffin, losing out on time to learn from the mercenary. Sensing his dread, the merc told him to come back, he reassured him that he would be around.

And every time Marco came back…StudMuffin grew older and grayer with each visit.  
The years the merc said Marco was gone worried him, this had never happened before…

And each new visit made Marco more and more sad seeing the once fearsome mercenary turn into a merc that could no longer fight as he once could.

"You act as if I'm an old man."  
"You can't exactly fight like you used to."

"You mean like the time you had to step in as 'myself'? You're lucky no one caught on that you were me. You kept that facade for months."  
"...yeah...months..." it never occurred to him that he posed as the merc for so long, it felt like...an afternoon to him  
He got back to Echo Creek and made it back for dinner on time. He saw the merc looking at him and he masked it quickly.

"Yeah, I mean everyone would shit their pants if they saw 'you' suddenly running faster than them." he jabbed.  
"You little shit."

The two laughed, StudMuffin couldn't bring Marco into the fray anymore or rather Marco couldn't have the merc on the field anymore. He was more content with him teaching him whilst in the hideout, the many guns he had, the weapons he found, made, looted, stole and the like along with things he invented or learned throughout his younger years. Marco's knowledge from his own and Mewni mentors were layered, complimented and supplemented by the mercenary, the hero growing in ways he had yet discovered.

Ultimately, Marco didn't think much of it at the time.  
Only the difference between when they first met and worked together, it felt as if StudMuffin had finally gotten used to the fact he was his protégé.

The two worked inside the Hideout the rest of the day, the merc getting winded from some of the more menial tasks around the place, Marco helping him here and there. The two sat down around the table and silently reloaded gun magazines, making sure things were always ready to be used.

"..."  
"I escaped death's icy fingers, thanks to you, Marco."

Marco looked up from putting bullets into the magazine, StudMuffin's gaze on clip, inspecting it.

"Oh. You're welcome."  
"And thanks to you, commandeering my identity for a time, I've left a bigger impression than I had before in other dimensions. The moment you put my mask on, I knew…that you would write your own history far beyond my own:  
I'm StudMuffin; Mercenary Extraordinaire…but so are you…"

"…"

The merc took his mask and handed it to Marco, he felt the mask leave the merc's hand and seemingly the mask felt a lot heavier when he first put it on.

"You're my protégé, Marco, my only legacy in this brutal world; in this whole dimension. Carry my name…carry the _title_ wherever you go; from now on out, you're StudMuffin."

"You're getting awfully sentimental."

"Hmph, talk about a total chad."

And the two again worked in silence.

* * *

"…Marco, you gotta leave me…"

StudMuffin was slumped against the wall, a pool of blood collecting beneath him.  
The smell of gunfire, smoke and blood permeate through the air, Marco looked at the elderly merc, soot and blood smeared across his young face.

"Damnit, why?! How could 16 years have passed?! This isn't Hekapoo's dimension, what the fuck is going on?!"  
"JUST…GO…"

Marco gritted his teeth as the two hid inside the merc's hideout, crumbling from each successive blast from a turret and artillery shells. The dilapidated Meat Market blown to smithereens from the first volley.

It seemed when Marco had posed as StudMuffin years ago he inevitably made enemies and now all of them were collecting in droves.

"DAMNIT! This is all my fault!" Marco roared, he put the pistol over the barricade and fired blindly before swinging the Traitor's Sword and sending an arc, splitting mooks and goons apart.

"It is your fault, Marco… so own up to it." The merc coughed, he fished out his pipe and fondly lit it taking a deep puff and blowing it out, some of it escaping the bullet holes in his chest, "Show them _StudMuffin_ is alive and kickin'."

Marco caught the skull mask thrown to him without a backward glance.  
Marco didn't bother telling off the old man for his usual habit.  
He didn't even see the pipe drop to the floor as he leapt over the cover and made corpses. Pistol in one hand and sword in the other, his skull mask gleamed hungrily as he cut them down and shot them dead.

Bullets swerved as Marco unleashed a tempest allowing him to close the distance.  
Sword swing. Dead.  
Shot to the face. Dead.

Marco was a whirlwind of death, each blade stroke felled someone, each bullet found flesh and bone. He threw the sword and warped to the faraway guns and dealt with them, tearing apart the weapons as he warped away again leaving it to blow up from lit powder kegs.

He came back drenched in blood, he surveyed his handiwork.

!?

Marco instinctively brought the sword into guard and deflected a shot from a trapped merc nearly crushed by ruin timber and brick. He sent a gust of wind from his sword, releasing the cowering mercenary, no older than he.

"Begone."

He watched the merc fled.  
Knowing the name would grow far beyond the dimension.

He walked back to the ruined hideout, StudMuffin struggling to stay awake.  
"…there's nothing left for you here now boy…take what you can…don't waste a thing…"

"…"  
"…heh, did you expect something heartfe—OW FUCK, MARCO!"

Marco wrapped his arms around the merc, he cussed at him but he didn't want StudMuffin to see his tears even if the mask obscured it.

"…fuckin', always a damn hugger…heh, take care of yourself, _hero_." He said the last part bitterly soft.  
His shoulders sagged and his head slumped against Marco's shoulder.

"…good bye, StudMuffin…you wrenched mercenary…"

* * *

"Marco? Marco! MARCO!"

He felt a sudden jolt to his system and looked around, Jackie and Janna were looking at him.  
Past him.

He turned around to see Kelly standing outside the café window, her bushy green hair tied with a red scrunchie. She ran into the cafe, her claymore hanging off her back. Janna recognized her easily however Jackie only knew her as Star's friend, the way she spoke to Marco sounded awfully like—

"Why haven't you answered your phone?"  
"What? Kelly, my phone hasn't rung—"  
"Marco, look!"

She shoved her phone in front of him.  
His stomach dropped.

"Marco, I couldn't reach you and when I went to Mewni they told me you left ages ago! But you were there a few days ago!"

Marco looked at the photo Kelly took:

A calendar.

"...how long was this."  
"...I went there just this morning. It's been 6 months since you left Mewni, Marco."

* * *

I like my tried and true method of my Chapter formula.  
Current Events + Flashback/Development Arc + PLOT BOMB = A good chapter.  
At least I hope so.

I just kicked this timetable into overdrive.  
Now let's see if Mewni can prop itself up in the meantime.

Time is weird.

The next chapter:  
You abandoned your friends, and Mewni! Now pay for your betrayal!

 _tu ne me reconnaiss pas?_  
I AM NRG

 **END OF TRANSMISSION**


	19. Chapter 19

.  
 **Disclaimer** : oof. That's confusing.

 **Chapter 18**  
 **  
**You abandoned your friends, and Mewni! Now pay for your betrayal!

 **XxXxXxXxX**

* * *

 _You're the pinnacle of our race! The apex Mewman! Special!  
_... _  
No contest! No warrior alive, dead or future can match you! Not even—  
_... _  
_ _You will prove that we don't need outside protection!  
_...  
 _Epic poems and legends will talk of you for eternity!  
_ …  
 _Do you see these results! You've mastered it so quickly!  
_... _  
_ _You are Mewni's Hope!  
_... _  
_ _You're better than anyone else!  
_... _  
_ _You are the one and only!  
_ …but why is there

Her head dipped and woke herself; she nearly dozed off! She discreetly glanced at her retainers seeing them as stoic as ever.

Queen Spiderbite lounged upon her throne, her thoughts murky as she was sifting through recent events. Troublesome events. Normally she would be in her study but after what had happened she'd rather not be in the place that reeked of her failure. She had such high hopes for her masterpiece but in the end it only ended in disaster.

It's been months since the Dark Knight had gone into exile.  
Along with her failed secret project.

Queen Spiderbite kept the incident quelled, it took a lot of doing, a lot of lying of course and bribes here and threats there to get things under control. She rubbed her temples thinking how things could go so horribly wrong.

She made something so wonderful, so magnificent.

Only for it to be dashed into pieces.

She spent so much resources on it and even more to keep it under wraps and she got nothing to show for her hard work. Now, she was hearing things were going awry in the surrounding kingdoms and lands of her home, she knew it wasn't anything good. She reached for and sipped her goblet, the wine was a fine vintage but it was sour in her mouth, her mood made anything distinctively terrible.

"Your highness, you have a visitor." Came a page, he had a spiderbite on his neck.

"I'm not seeing anyone today." She sighed, not wanting to vent her anger on her subjects. Most of the time.

"Beggin' your pardon, but it's the Informant."

"…very well."

The page bowed and quickly scamper away, the queen felt an eerie dread fall upon the throne room, her husband away for a trade deal with the Waterfolk royals, hoping to salvage their alliance after the Peace Talker debacle. The merman Mewmans along with the mountain Mewmans were aghast with the rest of the royals, sure they were the least affected from the recent shitstorm but they still sided with the Dark Knight.

And that made things difficult for everyone.

The Waterfolk had the vast ocean for their bounty.  
The Jagged Mountain royals had the long mountain ranges and valleys to secure resources along with what laid underneath the mighty mountains.

They promptly closed their doors to the rest of Mewni royals, unable to comprehend their fellow royals. They chose to prioritize Marco over them and they made enemies of them, but to their dismay it mattered little as the two had plenty of resources to spare and putting embargoes on theirs.

Now everyone was racing to secure trade deals, forcing the royals to compromise and treaty with each other. Even without the Dark Knight present he managed to get Mewni to change to his devious design. It would take centuries but his meddling would bring about a 'different' Mewni.

Or it would be the natural course.  
Whose to say.

The queen sat up straighter as the doors swung open, two knights escorted the Informant in, she had heard rumors of the Mewman, apparently the Informant was able to parley with the Monsters and Mewmans alike; allowing for safe passage and many diplomatic powers. It was an attractive power as of late. Draped in a cloak, the Informant looked side to side, the knights stood there, steadfast. There were only the two plus four other knights stationed in the room.

"Ah, dear Informant, what pleasure do I owe this visit?" the queen said kindly, hoping to get on the Mewman's good side.

"I came here to talk business. Maybe trade information. I know many _sensitive_ things."  
"I see. Perhaps we should speak in private then." The queen eyed her knights.  
"Oh, I believe we should."  
"Ah, your hood; you must drop it, no? It's ill manners to have it while we talk."

The request was simple and reasonable, the hood shadow obscured the Informant's face and many longed to see the true face of someone so powerful diplomatically.

The Informant shrugged and reached to pull it off.

In a whirlwind of movement, the cloak spun out and something flew out striking each knight before the Informant grabbed the knight on the right and flipped him, the other one fell back after a well placed strike to his temple, denting his helm.

Queen Spiderbite stood up, alarmed and ready to call for help but she grunted as web stuck her to the throne.

"Tsk tsk, do not scream or I'll add regicide to my resume~" came a cold hard threat.  
"!"

The Informant grinned as the cloak fell off, walking upon the dais and looked at the pale queen, a sinister smile curled the queen's guts. The Informant crushed and tossed aside a spider the size of a football, using its webbing to entrap the queen.

"You're making huge mistake—"  
"Hehe, shhhh~ I came here to see how you're doing especially after _that_ fiasco. Cleaned it up like nothing happened."  
"What are you—!?"  
"Tell me: are you going to try again?"  
"I don't know what you're talking about."  
"I know about the blood pits."  
"!"

The queen stared at the Informant, eyes bore into her coldly.

"ANSWER ME WHORE."  
"…no. It's pointless now. I have no more material to try."  
"Ah, what a shame~!"

The amused voice did not match the look of hatred she was receiving.  
The queen felt her body well up with dread, who else knew? The other kingdoms? Monsters? It had to be! Someone had her masterpiece!

She glared angrily at the Informant.  
The Informant smiled too widely. Tracing her face with a finger.

"Surprised~?"

"Fine don't talk~ but just a little warning: I CAN TALK."

The Informant walked down the dais in an easy pace, kicking a knight,  
"Ah, these knights aren't dead, just a little knock out poison they should wake up…in 12 hours. Or is it 18? Oh, who cares~ We'll see each other again soon…then we can talk about all sorts of things… **like how you dispose of Darcy. So cruel! So efficient.** "

A deathly chill slid down her spine at the name.

 _…_ _no. No. No. NO! How could—?! I was alone! No one around! I only knew!_

An image of a headless body, hair and blood on the floor burned her mind.

"…WHO ARE YOU?!"

The Informant smiled and bowed, icy blue eyes glittering with vicious intent.

"I am Nefon, the Informant~"

* * *

"When is this 'Informant' coming?" Moon glanced over the top of the parchment she was reading, Star close to her while River had chosen for many weeks now to sit as far away as possible from his wife.

"The Informant will come in due time." she raised her voice, River gave a slow nod, not meeting her eyes.  
She watched him for a second before she returned to her meal.

Star looked at the two, torn over how her parents were acting.  
Since the Peace Talker Incident her father had been rather frosty with Moon. And the same could be said about Moon to River, they talked rather formally, River more so now than recent memory.

He had stopped acting quite so free spirited and fell in line with doing errands around the castle, spending as much time as possible away from his wife. Moon on the other hand made no remark over his behavior and continued to run the kingdom without much incident.

Star could tell her mother and she was distraught and blindsided with the Johansen Clan member and him. Marco struck a mighty blow to River and he wasn't himself anymore. He begun to act as if he was just a staff of the castle, he spent a lot of time feeding his eagles on the castle rooftop.

He had no problem with Star, he would smile and the two would get into their usual antics. Star thought it was just a show, that Marco was trying to get him to change—for the better.  
But the moment Moon came into view, it seemed as if all his liveliness was sapped away.  
She tried to ask why he was acting like that but he would tell her:  
"It's nothing Starship!" "Your mother and I just disagree over some things. It happens." "Sweety does this make my butt look big?"

She heard yelling one night months ago.  
Things started to fall apart afterwards.

Star ate her food in silence.

She looked at the letter addressed to her and that made her just as bad: it was from Tom.

If her parents were fighting.  
So was she and Tom.

It irritated her that Tom not only chose to fight Marco but at the same time was _disappointed_ with her choosing to Abstain.  
It was her mother's call, not hers. However if she was in her shoes, she would have Abstain as well. She didn't want to choose a side and risk alienating her friend and boyfriend.

But it seemed as if it was result regardless.

Tom started talking shit about Marco, how he got away scot-free and the like despite his insistent meddling and Star had enough of it. She felt terrible he was saying that about their friend.

"Friend? Marco is NOT my friend. _Not anymore_ , Starship _._ "  
"But he—"  
"Why are you bringing him up, Star? He's gone. Never coming back."

"...look Star, Mar—that guy wont come back to Mewni, so put it behind you, alright? C'mon let's go to Lava Beach."  
"...I dunno Tom, maybe some other time. I have a lot to think about."  
"...like the fact you were kissing him. Heh, you had no problem sucking face with him, but when it's me it's all vomit."  
"Tom, you already know its the damn curse! Marco is going through the Unbinding and when it is lifted we can kiss all we want!"  
"...so I have to be indebted to that guy? This is some shitty irony..."

Star wanted to say so much more, to tell Tom off, tell him that at least Marco was doing something about the curse instead of just circumventing around it. She regretted it a second later, sicken she would even think of such a retort to throw at Tom's face, after two years he stuck with her despite the curse and not knowing it fully.

But everyone in Mewni knew now.

Star Butterfly was eternally bond to Marco Diaz the Dark Knight of Mewni. The royalty tabloid were all over it. Somehow, some way it got out to the public and now all sorts of stories were being prop up as a result. How Star just _loved_ bad boys, Pony Head Princess took it in great stride on her behalf only showing her articles of sappy rom com stories that made her laugh or thought it was really sweet.

Tom didn't like it one bit.  
Whether he was the one on top or not, it made him out to be a dastard in the most unflattering light.

It didn't matter for Marco, he wasn't here to get the burn. But no matter how Marco was presented it just made him more irresistible, the female Mewman population just adored it. He was a villain already so if he did something good in the articles the consensus was he was a jerk with a heart of gold, if he did something bad no one bat an eye, they expected it of him anyways.

To Star's surprise Tad was the one writing one of the more popular underground articles: A Love Beyond Hope, a Dark Knight's tragic love story.  
It was nothing but that, the article had obscene amounts of smut. Just oodles of it.

She nearly killed the hair ball but he quickly pleaded, "C'mon Star this is the one gig I got that I'm good at! Kelly left a hole in my heart...and I left a bald spot on the top of her head...this is the only way I can think clearly...and let me move on with my life..."

"I feel for you, Tad but WRITING HOW MARCO SEDUCED MY MOTHER, MY GRANDMOTHER AND THEN TRAVELED BACK IN TIME TO MAKE OUT WITH MY MOTHER AS A YOUNG WOMAN—IS SICK! YOU'RE A SICK WRITER, TAD! I HOPE YOU GET BANNED LIKE NRG DID!"  
"...how do you know that? Do you read my articles, Star?" Tad asked slowly, his eyes narrowing. Star glared at him.  
"Pony Head Princess reads them to me, I can't just muzzle her...she'd might like it..." Star muttered the last part.  
"Star, I wrote in the front of the article in big bold letters every time: IT'S FICTIONAL. IT DOES NOT REFLECT WHO YOU ARE AS A PERSON. Please Star, for the first time in months I haven't let Kelly being gone affect me so adversely. I've been going on dates. Meeting new people. I'm really trying, Star."

Star bit her lower lip seeing Tad happier than before, she relented but on the condition that no one of consequence would see it, especially her family or Tom.

"You have my word." Tad swore.

 **[Somewhere in Mewni]**

"Oh, my~"  
"Mother, I—what is that!?"  
"Nothing Meteora. Now be a doll and fetch me a Snookers Bar."

* * *

I looked out the cell they threw me in ages ago, I watched them scurry along carrying objects in their hands, their robes obscuring them.

They stuffed a bag over my head and bind me with thick ropes.  
Nothing like the first ones when I was pooled out of the water…

They dried me…  
Fed me…  
Dressed me…

Taught me how to read and speak…they smiled? Why? The opened their mouths and gibberish came out…but soon I understood them.

I was learning fast, they said. They put strange things in front of me and I 'mastered' it? I don't know…I never seen them before—but it felt natural in my hands. I could swing a 'sword' and 'fight' and that made them very smiling.

They said I was—'special'? I was better than—

A loud metal bang jolted me.

I looked out of the bars, curious if they would give me more food.  
I was hungry.  
I called out of the cell.  
I scooted back when a wooden baton slammed on the bars, a pair of angry eyes looked at me.  
I rubbed my arm, feeling where they pulled out that red sap from before.  
It hurt. I didn't like it at all.  
I told them.  
But they did it anyways. They took a lot.  
I huddled in the corner, a meager heap of straw and a thin blanket was prepared for me.

I got comfortable and slept.

.

I woke up with a start, someone was at the front of the bars.

I didn't like him. He looked at me funny, he had more eyes than I did…

He made a beckoning gesture and I walked tentatively forward, seeing his face again; an urge…I wanted to hurt hi—

"Hello little spider…"  
"…"

He smirked before pushing something forward, draped in a cloth with something red and an 'X' across it. It looked like fir—

"I want you to meet your better…do you know who he is?"

I looked forward, my eyes adjusting before I noticed it was me.

Did he bring a 'mirror' to show me?

I reached out but he slapped my hand, hissing,

"—!"  
"Don't touch him with your filthy hands! Sacrilege!"  
"…"

I nursed my hand, he glared at me…and I stared at me.

"Is that…me?"

"NO! No, no, no! You're better than him! In every way! You have in your veins all the qualities of your benefactor and donor! Rest his soul…"

I looked at me curiously, I looked back at me too even as I was turned to face the robed one, "You may have been born like liquid, unlike him, solid. But you pulled yourself together! You did that all by yourself! He could never do that! He was pulled out of the pit whole and solid, but you showed you are better because even melted down you regenerated! You can do anything he can and more!"

The robed one was so smiling.

I looked back at me, then I realized something.

It wasn't me.

…eyes were slitted.

Not like mine.  
I backed away.

"Afraid little spider? You should me."

"…Spider?"

The robed one gave a careless wave, "It doesn't matter."

The robe tried to move the other 'me' but 'I' continued to look at me.

"Spider. You're Spider. That's you."

The robed one looked at 'me' then to me. He looked angry.

"Me? ME?" I saw 'me' point to 'myself'.

"No, you're not—wait…oh, I understand: that's Spider. Yes, I suppose it would be annoying to just refer that to 'it' all the time. Okay, if that makes you feel better, that's Spider. And you should be…ah, in honor of your benefactor and donor, Lizard. Because Lizards eat Spiders."

Lizard looked into the cell and the robed one allowed it, I moved closer to look at Lizard, his lips pulled back to show his sharp teeth, I readied to huddle back but he held it. I stared until I understood, Lizard was…smiling?

I smiled too, showing my teeth.

We both smiled.

The robed one pulled Lizard away, but as he turned Lizard slipped something through the bars and I caught it and wrapped my fingers around it. The robed one gave me a look of disgust and walked away with Lizard, he turned and showed me his teeth before they disappeared around the corner.

I opened my fist and saw it something shiny and hard, I pressed it and I smelled something sweet, I fumbled with it before sticking it in my mouth and tasted it.

"Try unwrapping it, Spider."

I nearly swallowed it.  
I coughed it out to my hand and looked around. A robe was looking at me.

"Go on, I'm not going to tell."  
"…"

I did like I was told and it was a blue gem. I stuffed it into my mouth and I tasted it a hundredfold more. And just like like that, it melted away.

"Hmmm, like a child…"  
"Who are you?"  
"Me? …you can call me, Slink."  
"Slink…"

Slink smiled and nodded ever so slowly before looking at me again,

"I met your…" he paused, "…let's say, 'father'. Unfortunately…he was Exiled from Mewni. Now, I suppose I'm stuck with you and your brother."

"Brother?" the word was strange.

Slink looked amused, "Hm, yes, brother would be an apt word for your relationship. Lizard is your brother."

"What is a brother?"

"Family. He is your family, someone who is connected to you by blood and bonds, it would take forever to explain the concept, but that's the major premise."

"…okay."

"Good. Now eat your meals and grow up strong…" Slink slipped out of sight, "Now that your 'father' is gone, I have only to look forward to the his 'sons' as my prey…"

Slink passed by his colleagues, catching tidbits from the experiments and test they were running, his thoughts slipped back to what the High Priest had spouted.

Spider was pulled out of his blood pit as a solid being. The Informant's report was anyways.  
Lizard was pulled out like a heaping liquid paste just like Toffee before his demise. Slink tacked it to pulling him out too early.

But his regeneration could not be denied.  
It was gruesomely powerful even for such an infant creature.

Lizard was born near liquified.  
Spider was born completely solid.

 _Liquid Lizard. Solid Spider.  
_ _The 'Sons' of Marco Diaz, eh?_

* * *

"Hah, another day...another plan set in motion~ I really must find a way to get those Monsters under my sway, but how...ah well, I will leave that for some other time."

The Informant cackled loudly in the cozy lair given by a very generous Mewman merchant.  
After some arm twisting and threats that is.

"Mewni needs a firm hand to guide it, too many royals bickering...to many voices adding to the din... I'm the only who one can make things right..."

Looking at a nearby mirror, the Informant blinked seeing green eyes gleaming back,

" _Ku ku ku_ ~ well hello there, Darcy."

 **XxXxXxXxX**

* * *

Seriously.  
What is even going on anymore.

Well Mewni is literally in the shite. Especially with Nefon the Informant running around Mewni doing mischief with both Mewmans and Monsters. And the drama ooh, the curse is alive and well for Star, if you need a refresher how the curse works in my fanfic look at the Prequel's Author's Note.

This chapter is a tad confusing, but if you _really_ read it you might be able to make some sense out of my non-sense.

 _tu ne me reconnaiss pas?_  
I AM NRG

 **END OF TRANSMISSION**


	20. Chapter 20

.

 **Disclaimer** : the whole gang is here.

 **Chapter 19**

Impossible Tasks

 **XxXxXxXxX**

* * *

Marco looked at the phone, feeling dread well up in him, Kelly looked for a spare chair but Janna merely scoot to the side, pressing against Marco to give the newcomer some room to sit. Jackie frowned as she had plenty of space to spare, Marco groaned before slipping under the table and appearing on Jackie's side.

"How could this have happened?" Marco whispered, Janna frowned seeing Marco across her, Kelly just looked at him helplessly.

"A whole 6 months…Janna you said Star called you this morning."  
"Yeah…like 3 AM in the morning."  
"I got there around 10 AM, look it's impossible, time between Mewni and Earth is more or less the same. Same goes for my own dimension but it seems like Mewni's own is off it's rocker."

Marco pulled out his phone, looking at it, _oh yeah…I forgot Star can't call me…I changed my number. But why in the world is time advancing so rapidly? This is like…like…StudMuffin's…oh no._

His stomach tumbled remembering the mercenary's home dimension, time began to change rapidly one day became 5 years and it just got worse as time elapse. Eventually…the dimension gave out as time seemingly passed it by breaking apart and vanishing from the universe, it became an empty void.

He went back to the Fell Dragon for information but to his surprise the dragon was disinterested with the news merely stating that the dimension simply accelerated as did some dimensions in the past. It was beneath the dragon's notice nor interest why dimensions would undergo such a violent change, upon seeing the speechless Marco it titanically shrugged indifferently and expelled Marco from it's domain.

Marco could hear Jackie inquire about Kelly, who she was and how she knew Marco, but it felt distant. He needed to resolve the matter quickly before even more time passed for the dimension and if it would spread to other dimensions, _fuck, Mewni is still causing me problems! I can't just put that damn place behind me…I don't even know if this phenomenon has spread to Earth already, I better get Chronos's opinion on this—_

 _Please no more! Please don't take anymore!  
_ _Why? WHY? Give them back! PLEASE!_

Marco spun around at the cry. Again: a cry of absolute anguish. Of torment. Utter despair.

He could feel cold sweat forming on his entire body, as if the silent cry was meant for him. Only him.

No one else in the cafe including Jackie, Janna nor Kelly even registered it, had they even they would—

"Marco?"  
"Hey, what's the matter?"  
"Marco, you're not looking so good."

 _Marco? 4x  
_ ** _Dafuq? Hey!_**

"I need—I need to go, I have to see— someone right away." he gasped, feeling as he was ready to pass out. Jackie blinked as he roughly climbed over her lap, brushing against her, he mumbled an apology as he wobbly walked, as if he was drunk.

He shook all over.

"Marco!" Kelly reached out to steady him but he wobbled out of her reach.

The cafe occupants stared at him as he blinked rapidly and held out his hand, the Traitor's Sword appearing at his grasp,  
"I need—Chronos…I need to talk to—urgk…"

"Hey! No weapons in the cafe!"  
"I didn't know this was a cosplay cafe!"  
"Dude that's a sick sword."

 _Please save me!_

The sword glowed as Marco clumsily slashed open a portal and walked through.

Kelly tried to grab him only to miss him a second too late, Jackie and Janna rushed to see where Marco had disappeared.

"What? What was that sword? Where did Marco go?"  
"…damnit."  
"Marco…"

The three girls froze hearing something tear behind them and they slow turned to see a beaten up Hekapoo looking a them,

"Where's Marco?!"

* * *

Marco looked around, his guts tied painfully, instead of walking into Prima he was greeted to a long corridor of twisting matter and vapor. The Dark Knight touched it and it danced away from his fingertips, he looked below and tapped his shoe, feeling the solid mass.

"Where…am I?"

Marco took the Traitor's Sword and casually brushed the twisting walls, it parted and he flinched at the sight: the Blood Moon Goddess staring at him. Her vibrant red hair framing her beautiful face, however it was unhappy and almost…guilty.

"Marco…are you sure? It's not to late—"  
"Tell me about the Unbinding Ritual."

She sighed and pulled out his red string from the fabric that hid the good stuff, "…100 Impossible Tasks…like I promised." "Like you cursed me with." "…you've done 0 of 100 as of now. No, Marco, anything you've done before will not count, I will begin counting the ones you succeed in from this moment forth…if you wish to see what Task you can undertake…here let me imbue your red hoodie—there simply pull your hood over your eyes and you'll see the vast, vast _cruel_ list I've complied."

Marco turned away from the sight, sick in the stomach: he willingly partake in the folly.  
He slashed himself a portal out of the corridor

Nothing.

Marco blinked seeing no portal. No escape. He tried again. And again. Again. The sword did not make a portal for him no matter how many times he swung, even as his arms tire.

"What…what is going on?"

He looked back then forward, seeing nothing in the distance. Frowning, he tentatively walked forward, even as the walls of the corridors parted and revealed within the contents.

His past deeds. His blood-soaked victories. His heart breaking failures. His wicked past.

He kept his eyes forward but the walls opened like wounds and his past blared to life once again.

* * *

Marco looked over the vast list of Impossible Tasks, determined to take the non violent Tasks first before he delved headfirst into the ones that require to take a life. Finding a suitable Task was difficult even more so accomplishing it, Marco took great care not to fail any Tasks as it would set him back further and further.

But to his dismay blood and violence followed him at his wake…

Marco roared as he threw back his opponent rolling him on the rust colored Badland soil, he wept at the Dark Knight, holding a rusty great sword, "I'm sorry…I'm so sorry…"

Marco could only look at the knight with contempt, never had he felt so indifferent…so uncaring for the pathetic…thing in front of him.

Originally, he felt as if he had found a friend in the desolate dimension he was exploring, a fellow Dark Knight and luck would have it, he was trained by Buttercup and Oblivion! Marco excitedly talked to the Dark Knight, Praetor Darken Hatred, an unusual name but he didn't mind in the slightest. He found the fellow Dark Knight traveling throughout the Badlands for his bounties, upon meeting Praetor somehow deduced that Marco was a Dark Knight as well!

They got along well, conversing about their lives, he boasted being taught by the Lizard and Ghost years prior to Marco, he was his senior and therefore he was to be respected by his junior. Marco understood the hierarchy but laughed it off, who cares who was student first? They were both graduated Dark Knights.

They traveled through the Badlands, fighting the occasional bandit or two, Marco finding various snakes and the two trading stories. It felt good to be in one's company especially one who knew how lonely it was outside of their home dimension.

"You never told me why you left though."  
"Oh…I exiled myself, ran into a spot of trouble and decided to come here."

Marco didn't pry and they continued until nightfall. Marco wrapped himself in his blanket, sleeping lightly before he heard something quite odd,

"No…no…I…it's been so long…just one more…"

Marco didn't like what he heard and rolled to the side, even as Monster Arm futilely roared a warning at him. The Dark Knight spun away from the follow-up slash as the Traitor's Sword appeared in his hand.

"What treachery is this!?"

"…I'm sorry…I can't live like this anymore…I can't live like a pariah anymore!" Praetor cried, sobbing as the great sword was embed into the blanket Marco was in a moment ago.

Marco narrowed his eyes.

"…after Buttercup and Oblivion knighted me…I thought I was really a knight! A bonafide knight! But I was wrong…they cursed me! They made me a joke! So I killed my tormentors! I killed them dead! And not just them…their families! Their friends!"

"WHEN."

"I…don't even remember…when the Craven Kingdom was around?" Praetor laughed hysterically sad, gripping his hair, his eyes wide, "I don't know…I don't know…I've walked this Badlands for years…decades…centuries? Hahah…what have I been doing…"

"…you were one of those Dark Knights that slaughtered in Mewni…you bloody our history…"

"YOUR HISTORY?! WHO CARES!"

"I CARE!"

Praetor laughed deliriously, "When I finished killing you know what they did to me? They cursed me! I was not to age until I killed my kind five times! And you know how many I've killed?"

Marco's face drained at the words, "…no."

"Three…I've killed three…and you know what, every time I killed my name changes to match the abominations that those two made…because of those two bastards I was robbed of my life! I wish I was never a Dark Knight! But after you…one more, just one more…Buttercup and Oblivion better send me their next student…so this curse can be finally gone…"

"You killed your fellow Dark Knights!"

"THEY DESERVED IT! Praetor Eryk! Sir Armand Darken! Noble Chiara Pride! Fell to my mighty blade!"

"No...if you did you wouldn't have resorted to stabbing me in my sleep!"

Marco launched himself at the disgraced Dark Knight, feeling as if the time he spent with him was just a facade and farce to drop his guard so he could die upon his cowardly blade.

"You coward!" Marco brought the sword down, cutting the tip of the great sword before spinning and kicking the Dark Knight back. He roared and spun, kicking up dust in the peeking light of dawn, Marco wasn't impressed and sent a whirlwind and knocked the knight back.

"You were ridiculed?! You were taunted?! I WENT THROUGH THAT TOO AND I DIDN'T KILL ANYONE! I DID NOT BUTCHER MY ENEMIES NOR THEIR FAMILIES! YOU DISHONOR YOUR TEACHERS! YOUR FAMILY! YOUR STATION! YOUR VOWS AND HONOR!"

"FUCK YOU!"

Marco snarled and traded blows with the Dark Knight, spouting how he pushed to the brink by the Mewman society and feared by the Monsters, again and again his voice began to grind at Marco's ears the sound of his whine made him less and less empathetic to his plight.

Life was tough on Earth and the same goes for Mewni, did this fool really thought—

 ** _You thought the same too Marco, being a 'royal squire' would fix your relationship problem. This shit stain could have been you…had you been a lesser man._**

 _I wouldn't kill to make my burdens less._

 ** _Isn't your Impossible Tasks require you to kill to undo the curse? Talk about hypocrisy! I take it back: YOU ARE JUST LIKE HIM. _**

Marco roared as he threw back his opponent rolling him on the rust colored Badland soil, he wept at the Dark Knight, holding a rusty great sword, "I'm sorry…I'm so sorry…"

Marco looked on feeling the barbed jabs Monster Arm said about him, he was just like this knight…trading lives for release.

 _…_ _I'm not like him, I won't stoop to his level…_

As much as he wanted to…killing this disgraced Dark Knight would be a mercy, releasing him from his punishment.

"…there are no more Dark Knights. You'll never break your curse, coward."

The knight looked at him, shaking his head, "YOU LIE!" "I am the last Dark Knight of Mewni…you'll never take 5 of your fellows."

The knight laughed, laughing louder and delirious by the second as if the truth finally struck him,  
"I COULD NEVER WIN! I KILLED DARK KNIGHTS FOR NOTHING! AHAHHAHHAHAHAHHHAHAAAAH! I KILLED MY BROTHERS AND SISTER FOR NOTHING!"

Marco looked at the broken Mewman for a second as he went from laughing to pitiful sobbing, "  
Please…let me die…I don't…want to hurt anyone anymore…"

"No."

Marco blinked when he moved forward and slid the Traitor's Sword into the Dark Knight from his breastplate and down to his groin. The knight gurgled before he cut off his arms, legs and diced his torso before beheading him.

Marco stepped back, unsure what just happened, even as the blood seeped into the Badland rusty soil.

 **[Defeat the Dark Knight Killer Praetor Hatred Pride: Accomplished]**

Marco looked at the sword, a sense of gnawing dread accompanying it.

.

Marco slid his skull mask on as he read the bounty wall, he could hear the whispering of his name around him but he paid it no mind, he was StudMuffin after all, nothing out of the ordinary.

"He's so hot."  
"Look how big his _pistol_ is~"  
"Damn, he's a lot younger than I thought."

Marco pulled a bounty off the wall and read it:

 **URGENT HELP**

Malicious dragon terrorizing our fair kingdom.  
This is no ordinary dragon, it is wicked.  
Name your price.

Marco quickly pulled his hood over and sighed: it was an Impossible Task. And by the looks of the many dagger holes and cigarette burns, many other mercs agreed.

He quickly left the bar and made himself a portal and walked into the realm: the landscape was burnt to a crisp. The castle was already taken over by a massive dragon, smaller than the Fell Dragon to be sure but it followed the same color scheme except in red and black, it spotted him and wasted no time breathing fire at his direction.

He brought his sword down and sent an arc cleaving through the fire and struck the dragon, forcing it to tumble back and smashing into roofs, towers and such. Marco cut himself a portal and leapt through, he pulled out his pistol as he appeared above the dragon and fired a barrage, he growled when the bullets bounced off the tough scales.

He landed on the roof and pointed the Sword of Pendragon at the enraged dragon,  
"I am StudMuffin! Return to your lair!"

The dragon roared, hellish fire obscured his entire vision before he cleaved it with a swing of his sword.

Marco looked upon the dragon as it launched itself at him, he felt the sword grow teeth and drool, Marco felt dread fill his heart as he jumped into the fire.

 **[Slay a terrorizing dragon: Accomplished]**

Half a day of fighting, nursing burns, bullets exploding in its pouches, falling through buildings and nearly drowning in the moat, Marco felled the massive dragon.  
He felt terrible for slaying such a magnificent beast, scales thick as a brick shined in every color and breathtaking in flight. He warped the body to the countryside, unwilling to let the locals butcher it.

He contemplated how to bury the body but that was answered when a flight of dragons descend upon him from high. Marco felt the earth groaning from their titanic weight, there was at least a thousand of them. Or a hundred. Either way, that was too many dragons for Marco's liking.

The biggest one came crashing down from the heavens, snarling and breathing fire. When it spoke, Marco would have been shocked but after the Fell Dragon, he doubted anything a dragon could do would make him bat an eye.

 **YOU KILLED MY SON!**

Marco held back a tired sigh, he looked over the body in the distance before back again to the father dragon. He could feel the distraught, the rage, the regret. But he was not swayed, he wanted answers and after watching the son of the dragon burn half of the kingdom down he was sure as fuck going to get it.

"If you cared so much, then you wouldn't have let him run amok, dragonkin."

The ancient dragon looked down on Marco,

 **Could you kill your own son.**

"…"  
Marco didn't waver and looked it in the eye. It was like with the Fell Dragon, the same authority in it's tone.

 **I think not.**

"…"

The dragon watched him, the rest of the dragon tribe watching him intently. The dragon sniffed him before shaking its massive head.

 **Did you enjoy killing my son.  
** **Will the gold you earn make you happy.  
** **Will you call yourself a dragonslayer now.  
** **ANSWER ME, SON OF MAN.**

Marco looked the dragon dead in the eye.

"I did not relish killing him, but he had to be stopped and no matter how many times I struck him down. He was committed to getting back up and laying waste to this kingdom killing many innocent lives. I do not know if they deserved it, but all I know is that I watched families perish, desperate parents shielding their children who still burned to ash."

The dragons did not respond.

"I will forego the reward, after seeing this much devastation, I will leave it to whomever put up the post to spend the funds wisely to rebuild the kingdom; they need every bit to put their lives back together."

The dragon looked at him before another dragon came forward, Marco looked at it,

 **Nonetheless: you slew my brother. Your sentiment is noble but there is a price to be paid.**

"And what is that."

 **You're a Pendragon are you not? You swore an oath to abstain your blade from slaying my kind.**

"…I don't know anything about that oath; I am not a Pendragon…I am merely a student to one, Oblivion Pendragon son of Oblivion and Smile Pendragon."

 **…** **I see. But this Pendragon recognized you, no? Saw you fit to inherit that sword?**

"Aye, he did."

The dragon peered down on him before nodding slowly as if coming to a decision, a bright light wrapped around it and Marco shielded his eyes, ready to fight at a moment's notice. He blinked cautiously and looked around, instead of a 5-story dragon bearing down on him, it was a woman garbed in flowing white robes, Marco inhaled sharply seeing shapely horns near her pointed ears, her flowing blue hair and striking amber eyes met his own.

 **I am Illona Lightningsong.  
Adorjan was my brother.**

 ** _Holy shit. She's hawt!_**

Marco had the tact to untangle his tongue, however just decided to nod, not trusting himself.

The dragon turned human looked him over, walking around him and even sniffing him before she met his front again, she looked at the bloodstained sword, frowning. She looked at him, studying his face,

 **You are acceptable.**

"Acceptable? Acceptable for what?"

The dragons growled and snarled, the massive dragon roared to the sky, fire spewing into the heavens. The rest followed suit.

 **Replacing one our kin.**

"How?"

Illona glared at him, a pink tinge marking her fair complexion, he could spy scale-like markings near her neck and ears.

 **How else: consummate until a hatchling is born.**

 ** _Marco shoot yo skeet, get all up in her business! Finally, this relationship has a pay off! And the plus side she's not a dragon loli!_**

Marco backpedal at the sudden decision, after what he had done he expected many threats and banishment or face death at the talons of thousands of dragons. Not sex! Especially with the sister of the fallen dragon! No matter how breathtakingly beautiful she was…or willing.

"I can't do that! I killed your brother! Your son!" Marco yelled looking at the two dragons respectively.

The dragon roared at him indignant,

 **Must you constantly remind me of my fallen son! You may have taken him, but…hah, it had to be done. He was our best warrior, what came over him I do not know; I lament the fact no one else could have taken him to the Fell Dragon. And I was against sending more of my kin to their deaths.**

 **Until you came along.**

Illona looked at him perplexed, as if not caring for his reasons,

 **You can not perform? Have you not considered your lineage? I have some herbs.**

 ** _Oh no, babe, his dick work but the way he beats his meat daily I'm about to call the police on his ass. It's abuse, I'm telling you. Soothe it with your moist fire pussy._**

Marco shook his head, his face entirely red,

"How can you just…replace your son just like that?"

 **What choice do we have. Can you bring back the fallen? No, do not even attempt it. We do not disgrace our departed. And we don't need a Necro Dragon roaming the lands again.**

 **Now, you** ** _will_** **replace the son you killed.**

"But I'm—"

 **Acceptable. Your valor and honor have been tested, your bloodline watery but it's acceptable. Now; mount me.**

Marco looked Illona striding forward, pulling her robes off, Monster Arm grunted louder and louder at each step she took,  
 ** _oooh fuck I'm about to bust my nuts so bad!_**

"WAIT!"

Illona paused.

"I'm diseased! I can't, er, give you a hatchling you want!"

 **…  
** **…**

The dragons growled at the news.

Illona frowned,  
 **Can you get rid of it?  
** "…yes, after a fashion."

 ** _Fuck you, I want to see you balls deep in her dragon snatch!  
_** _Eat shit.  
_ ** _ASSHOLE!  
_** _Yeah, that's where it comes from, idiot._

Illona sighed before nodding slowly.  
She glanced at the ancient dragon and it merely snorted.

 **Fine. Take as much time as you need.**

 **But know this: I want our hatchling before you're decrypt, I do not wish to mate when you are old and gray, man's lifetimes are short but our mating will be** ** _long_** **.**

.

"DAMNIT!" Marco slammed his fist into the vehicle exterior, denting it. He kept his eyes shut as the reigning champion of the Death Race of the Badlands rode up next to him. He smiled at the Dark Knight's frustration, he had to admit even with that magic sword he wield; he still won.

 _Damn kid teleporting from vehicle to vehicle, knocking out drivers, using his sword to deflect bullets, rocket and whatever else he damned pleased and using his pistol to blow apart engines and pistol-whip any silly driver who dared to fight back. He got spunk and the skill…but something is off about him._

He pegged him for a cool and collected man, not this…boy frustrated over a simple loss.

"You came in second, too bad there isn't a consolation prize!" he gave a boisterous laugh, Marco didn't share his amusement.  
"Chin up kid, you're alive! This is your first Death Race and you lived to tell the tale! Aren't you proud of yourself?"  
"…it cost me much."  
"I don't see any injury on you. Except your pride." the Champion replied.

Marco merely stayed silent, shaking his head,

"I had a golden chance…and I lost it. I can never get one back."  
"There will be plenty of Death Races, you're exaggerating."  
"I don't mean it like that."

He could see Marco upset over something and it had nothing to do with the race at all,  
"You had money riding on this? Some honor or tradition to uphold?"

"Something like that."

The champion shook his head, "There will be plenty of chances, you needn't worry."

"…you're right." _Because this Unbinding…will make me spill blood to make up for it._

The Champion smiled before gesturing to his pit crew, they nodded and rolled out a military motorbike, Marco looked it over curiously before the Champion gestured it to him.

"Take it, second place has no prizes but you showed a lot of worth kid. She's the first thing I ever stole, right out of my dad's garage. She's got some mileage on her but she's tough, some fixing and she will serve you good. I did a lot of capers with her back in the day before Death Races made me better gold."

Marco ran his hand over the bike, the Champion could see the gleam in his eyes.

"See you in the next Death Race, kid."

 **[Win the Badland's Death Race: Failed]**

.

"Thank you, Marco…thank you…"

The Dark Knight held a man cursed to be forever too late for his loved ones, he nearly lost his entire family…until Marco came. Using the Traitor's Sword, Marco teleported the man just in time to save his daughter from a volley of arrows using his own body.

His daughter held her father's cold hand as Marco turned his blade to the assassins.

 **[Lift a curse off a good man: Accomplished]**

.

Marco roared in fury, his sword buried into the earth.  
The land was dead. It could not be healed.

 **[Heal a blighted world: Failed]**

.

Marco cut himself a portal and tumbled out back into Echo Creek, his entire body nearly frozen solid from the blast of icy wind that blew him off a cliffside.

 **[Obtain the Alpine Arctic Rose: Undetermined]**

.

Marco fled the dragon's lair on his motorcycle, the dragon was royally pissed with the would-be intruder.

"I didn't even get inside why the fuck are you chasing me!?"

Riding across the countryside and thick forests, the dragon eventually turned back, Marco slumped on the handlebars.

"DAMNIT! NOT AGAIN!"  
"Awww, looking for this?"

Marco pulled his sword free as the Dragon Heart jewel landed on his lap, he looked around to see a young woman sitting on a tree branch, smiling at him.

"I drugged the dragon, you came when it wore off. Thought you were me." She winked.  
"I'll be seeing you."

Marco watched her tumble back and vanish before his eyes. He picked up the jewel and inspected it before pulling his hood down and sighed in relief.

 **[Get a Dragon's Heart: Accomplished]**

.

Marco sat in the corner of the bar, thankful no one came to bother him especially with his skull mask on. Kelly sat next to him, she sympathetically patted his shoulder as he rested his face in his arms. A couple empty glasses around Marco, her drink barely touched.

 **[Win a fair duel with the Death Knight: Failed; Failed]  
[Win a fair duel with the Blood Knight: Failed]  
[Win a fair duel with the Blight Knight: Failed]**

He didn't even come close.

 **[Best the Champion of Skadi in Archery: Failed]  
[Protect a criminal: Failed]**

"Marco…maybe you shouldn't try to finish these missions so fast. There isn't a time limit, you can do it at your pace." "But the longer I'm connected to Star via the curse, I'm…miserable."

Kelly didn't know what to say, it was outlandish when he told her about Blood Moon Dance curse and the Goddess, she nearly got him to bed to rest but his insistence made her stop. She followed him for morale support but seeing him getting beaten down was too much for her to bear.

"I'm…not gonna do anymore Impossible Tasks for now. You should head home, Kelly."  
"You promise?"  
Marco chuckled, "Yes, I promise."

Kelly wasn't convinced but nodded, "Okay, good. Stay out of trouble. And down go landing on my bed like that again. You're going to break it."

 ** _Yeah, Marco, she wants you to break it with her!_**

Marco simply nodded before cutting her a portal, she glanced back at him before walking through.  
The Dark Knight sighed and flopped on the table, not caring how he looked.

"Awww, you sad you're girlfriend left you?"

Marco looked up before sitting up, his hand on his sword, the newcomer smirked at him: it was the girl from before.

She sat down across him, Marco narrowed his eyes, "Hello…StudMuffin." "What do you want." The gruff answer didn't faze her, she leaned in closer.

"Or should I say…hello, _Marco_."

She grinned, "Long time no see."  
"Who are you."  
"Me? Oh, I'm Vixen."

Marco blinked.

"Vixen?" "Yes, Vixen. Oh c'mon Marco have you forgotten me already? You saved me when you were 'StudMuffin'."

Marco's mouth dropped,  
"You were like 5!"  
"Yeah, that was 16 years ago, bleh!"

Marco shook his head, time had really went haywire for some dimensions, "How could this have happened?" "Psh, so what time passes faster in my dimension? And you don't look a day older~!"

Marco looked at her seriously, "What do you want?" "Heard you keeping doing stuff…and sucking at it, that's not the StudMuffin I know! He's cool and collected, super confident and strives for—hey where are you going?"

Marco walked out of the bar with Vixen chasing after him.

"Oh, c'mon Marco what happened?" "Shit happens."

Vixen lost her cheery face.  
And slapped him.

"You better get your head out of your ass, Marco. When you saved me I did everything I could be like you, I'm a merc too. I have hundreds of bounties under my belt. Belts. I dunno which one it goes under, but still you inspired me to be better than I could ever thought I could. What happened Marco?"

He rubbed his cheek and slapped her.  
She stumbled back but kept her eyes on him, waiting for his answer.

"StudMuffin is dead. His dimension is dead too. I have a curse on me that forces me to be with someone who I wish could be free. I am branded a Traitor in Mewni and wield a sword that everyone is afraid of…and here I am, paying lives for my selfish freedom."

Vixen looked at him.  
"Is that all? This Marco…this isn't something that is impossible for you to overcome. It will never unmake you.  
StudMuffin lives on through you, this curse I just know you can lift it. This 'Mewni' can shove it, you're no traitor, if you were I'd would have struck you down the moment we met. And that sword's history is not your own…and who hasn't done terrible things before in their life? Marco, look at me, if you're going to swim in an ocean of blood and be neck deep in bodies…I'll be there for you, Marco. As long as you let me."

"Why. If you know following me will lead you to carnage and violence—"  
"There is no place I'd rather be, Marco. I owe you my life. But now I see you desperately trying to pull yourself from a pit you dug yourself…I put my hand out for you but you wont grab it, because you think I'll be repulsed by the blood and gore on it. Silly boy, I would still take it."

Marco didn't look at Vixen.

"Going at it alone is dreary don't you think? Why not recruit some braves to fight for you?"

"C'mon, if you don't want to hire them, then save them and earn their loyalty. The more the merrier, right?"

And so Vixen followed Marco.

 **[Win the Bloodbath Arena Tournament: Accomplished]  
[Destroy the Skeleton Legion Scourge: Accomplished]**

Kelly tagged along for the less bloody ones.

 **[Fish out the Mythical King of the River: Accomplished]**

.

"Is that everyone!? VIXEN!"  
"YES! GET US OUT OF THIS FUCKIN' HELLHOLE STUD!"

Marco brought his sword down and pointed at it, the prisoners stared at the escape route with their hollow eyes, Marco roared at them, "IF YOU WANT TO STAY HERE AND ROT—!"

Marco nearly was trampled by the hundreds of prisoners rushing towards the portal.

"Stud, the guards are back!" Vixen pulled out a pistol and fired, Marco followed suit and blasted away the guards in blacken twisted armor, they roared inhuman tones as they threw their cruel spears and pitchforks at them and the fleeing masses.

Marco brought his sword high and unleashed a blazing arc, cleaving them in two. Vixen fired again and again before noticing the prisoners were all but gone, she grabbed a hobbling one, "STUD MOVE OUT!"

Marco spun and unleashed a massive arc in all directions, feeling light headed before throwing himself through the portal and closing it. Spears, daggers, darts, bullets, chains, arrows and other weapons and projectiles missing Marco by mere moments.

On the other side, Marco panted heavily, an odd hundred prisoners staring wide at him and Vixen, the City of Malice in the horizon.

"We escaped…"  
"We're free…"  
"Oh…oh please let this be real!"

The prisoners burst out in tears and relief, some not believing they left the hellhole and poured sand into their mouths to be sure. Vixen wiped the blood from her brow, feeling the numerous cuts all over her, a broken rib and some bent fingers too. Marco suffered numerous slashes that cut through his armor, burns over his arms, a spike through his foot and poisoned by the looks of it.

Vixen pulled some vials and fed it to Marco before pouring some watery salve over his arms and neck.

"Damnit, that place is…fuckin' terrible. I thought the merc life was pretty callous and heartless, but that place made it seem like a damn nunnery…" Vixen muttered darkly.

The prisoners looked around cautiously, scared realizing that they were in the open, they began to creep closer to Marco and Vixen.

"H-hey…you got a way out of this place right? Right?!"

"Yeah, we do, calm down. Stud not feelin' up for it at the moment."

"Vixen…" "Yeah?"

Marco got to his feet, he looked at the prisoners before looking at the city in the distance…the accursed place.

"We got…all the good people out of that place right?"  
"Yeah…all the living prisoners and the guards who weren't total fuckin' assholes that let us in."  
"…so there's no one left."

Vixen painfully nodded.

That place…the City of Malice…there were trillions of them in this dimension; each able to contain a few billion easily. And only an odd hundred of the unfortunate inhabitants were good people, decent people…imprisoned and tortured for their religious, political, morals; or for any miniscule reason. They were the driven insane by cruel torture or died from all forms of infection from dysentery to cancer and starvation.

The streets reveled in all forms of violence and depravity in broad crimson daylight, the dead laying open and rotting unattended without ceremony, crazed inhabitants screaming and howling gibberish on rooftops or those spewing alien verses and screaming at passerby. It seemed that everything wrong in the universe was crammed into the dimension, from killing without cause or pause to depravity that made Marco and Vixen sick to their stomachs. The howling screams of the deranged and prosecuted and miserable and helpless still rang in Marco's ears as they searched for the prisoners. How they ended up here, he didn't care, no one deserved to die in a forsaken place.

Even the sky rained crimson raindrops, as if blood hoping to extinguish the burning malice that fueled the city, only to add to the picture of the damned place and the…'things' that inhabit the place.

 **"…** **good."**

Marco looked at the Traitor's Sword, his reflection on the blade, his eyes slowly darkening, his iris turning a glowing green, the sword began to drool and grow sharp teeth all over the blade.

He faced the city, the sword began jitter chatter with anticipation.  
Dark thoughts began to flood Marco's mind.

 ** _"_** ** _DESTROY IT, UNLEASH YOUR WRATH UPON THEM. THERE IS NO NEED FOR A PLACE LIKE THAT. WIPE IT OFF THE FACE OF THE UNIVERSE. JUDGMENT HAS COME."_**

"Marco? What are you doing?"

"No: it's justice." the Fell was pushed back.

The Dark Knight spun and unleashed a massive blazing arc, knocking himself back into Vixen who caught him as the arc raced for the horizon. The prisoners, Marco and Vixen watched in fascinated horror as the arc cleaved through the city, toppling buildings and obliterating anything in its path before it sunk diagonally.

A flash of light.

Marco and company were blown of their feet as the resulting shockwave sent them flying back to each other. Untangling themselves from limbs that didn't belong to them, they all stood up and saw the city had been demolished, nothing but a burning blacken crater where miserable memories once was.

"It's…gone."

"I can't believe it…"

The prisoners cheering deafen the two mercs, many of them rushed to hug them, some leaping for joy, many kissing the ground and praising whatever they pleased.

"…"  
"Marco…I would have done the same too."

 **[Destroy a City of Malice: Accomplished]**

 **XxXxXxXxX**

* * *

The Impossible Tasks.  
In light of reviews and recommendations, I've chosen to shorten the 'flashbacks' and 'filler' as much as possible but bringing all the character building elements of it. To be sure Marco is walking a very violent and dark road ahead of him.

As recap of what the Impossible Tasks dictate please refer to the list is in Chapter 7.

There is a rich list of tasks for Marco to choose and he immediately went to the ones he thought would spare him from killing others, but the Goddess is cruel in her design, the tasks are especially made to make the 'dancer' go back to their partner; forcing them to complete tasks that is fundamentally against their being.

Just to point out him beating the MHC members DO NOT count as Impossible Tasks, even if the Goddess did give him the chance to start at the prequel it would not matter. They're good, but not that good; LudoToffee wreck them and while he did have the element of surprise, it cost them Lekmet just for them to get away. Difficult but not Impossible. Same with Eclipsa, sorry even she doesn't count as an Impossible Task. Maybe stealing a Snookers Bar from her though, she's pretty stingy.

Alas, no, the Fell has yet to be used. It manifests when Marco is incredibly angry or if he wills it out.

Okay, for the time acceleration: when Janna got the call from Star, the fluctuation had yet to begin, also Janna is actually on bad terms with Star because of Marco. As for Kelly, mere hours became months for the Mewni dimension and it is accelerating faster and faster. 'Why didn't Star contact her friends or just went to Earth?' she banished herself from Earth, I mean she could still go back but...why doesn't she do it anyways? That's for a later chapter...hehehe

The Flashbacks should be 1 or 2 more chapters before I wrap it up, so we can get into the juicy bits like Hestia, Mewni during the timeskip and maybe some callbacks like Kelly's time with Marco and such.

So what do you think, I got this Chapter Formula down? Holla at me.

 _tu ne me reconnaiss pas?_  
I AM NRG

 **END OF TRANSMISSION**


	21. Chapter 21

.  
 **Disclaimer** : I do not condone what happened.

 **Chapter 20**  
Marco Darkly  
 **XxXxXxXxX**

* * *

"Whoa, what happened to you guys."

Dreadlocke, Lady Dread and Adder marched in the camp, shaking from head to toe, covered in gunpowder, mud, soot and blood, the three had emptied themselves off all ammunition on hand and Marco's supply.

"Oh, nothing much, Stud just took us to a park filled with illegal animals, rabid mutant and crossbreeds and chased by the park rangers."

Vixen laughed, "Sounds like fun~!"

"..." "..."  
"…well, it was but Stud's jeep driving is terrible."

Marco coughed loudly and the three scampered away, "I wanted to teach you all a lesson, I'm glad for the assist but I can handle my personal business."

Adder yelled back, "Too much secrecy!" only to run into Ringo, who immediately put him in a headlock and dragged him away.

Marco shook his head before Vixen skipped forward, "You got a visitor~ why don't you clean up for her?"

The merc glanced down and hurriedly walked away.  
Vixen watched Marco's backside for a moment before going to a tent to greet the said visitor.

She pushed through the canvas to see a very familiar girl sitting on cot, polishing her claymore, she tucked it away and stood up at the sight of Vixen.

"Ah, thanks for waiting, Marco just got back; right this way, Miss Girlfriend~!" Vixen chirped, Kelly blushed as she was led out and through the camp, the Warband Head Quarters.

"Mornin' ladies~" "Lookin' good!" "It's criminal to have those legs covered up!" hollered the triplets Raedd, Readd and Redda. Vixen laughed at the catcalls, once everyone knew each other these things were common, Kelly found her hand on her claymore and the trio took notice.

"Easy kiddos, this here StudMuffin's girl, mind your tongues~!"  
"—or I'll cut it out." Growled Kelly, hoping to sound intimidating.

The three nodded vigorously and scampered away.  
Vixen grinned.

More of the Warband greeted the two as they passed camps, tents and such in the HQ.

Dr. Dae and Peyton waved to them from the medical tent.  
Ardde and Aeddr tended to the cook fires with Alzbeta. Epsilon discreetly took a drumstick.  
Dared, Eradd and Dreadlocke busily sharpen knives, swords and bladed weapons, the latter winking at them.

Kelly smiled at them, they were a lot happier and better when she first met them, they were nearly skin and bones when Marco asked her to help get them on their feet with Vixen. It took some time for them to adjust to sympathy when they spent malicious months being tortured in the City of Malice.

And in a blink of an eye Marco turned the unruly lot into a prime fighting force within months.  
And snagging him some Impossible Tasks along with jobs and bounties.

 **[Win a war: Accomplished]  
** **[Win a revolution: Accomplished]  
** **[Mastermind a revolution: Accomplished]  
** **[Save a city: Accomplished]  
** **[Vanquish a Nerco Dragon: Accomplished]**

He made the former prisoners into mercenaries much like himself and Vixen, outfitting them with weapons, gear and training. He'd hoped after their training and getting back on their feet they would disperse however…

Most of them were unwilling to part with their newfound leader.  
Kelly could hear them whine over the din of the camp's activities,

"StudMuffin where did you go?" Brooke asked.  
"I wanted to loot the bodies!" Dreadster hooted.  
"Why didn't I get to go, eh?" Dreda questioned.  
"Enough, I didn't—"

Marco caught sight of Kelly then Vixen sauntering up to him, he blushed and gestured to move to a less populated area. Kelly followed the two mercs, she remembered watching Marco marshaling his newfound forces nervously, nowadays he was more confident albeit irritated at times as if he was marshaling a bunch of children…

"There is no 'we'. I already told you, the lot of you: you're free to go. You don't owe me a thing. You all have lives and families to go back to. Go back to them and we'll be even."

"Speak for yourself, Stud! You all owe shots! Each of you!" Vixen crowed.

Marco shook his head as Vixen grinned at the whines and complaints of the newly formed Warband, the prisoners were an odd 900, after he freed them only 700 remained. They were resolute to paying back for Marco's kindness, Vixen gave him all the credit seeing as he opened a portal AND wiped out the City of Malice single-handedly.

Marco was nervous about having so many lives under him but Vixen reassured him that the two of them would whip them to shape. Nothing they couldn't manage.

Marco decided to split them into 7 groups so they all could focus on something other than Combat, something they were all taught during their captivity as prisoners they were forced to fight everyday with cellmates for entertainment.

1\. Combat + Vanguard  
2\. Recon + Intelligence  
3\. Research and Development  
4\. Communication + Transport  
5\. Support Team  
6\. Medical Team  
7\. Head Quarters

Marco was pleased with the divisions allowing for his Warband to work efficiently however some teams were sorely lacking especially the Medical Team which only had a handful of skilled doctors, physicians and nurses.

Marco groaned when one group decided to make themselves the unofficial 8th Division in the Warband, dubbed the Dread Squad consisting of:

Adder, Dreadlocke, Lady Dread, Dread Master, Redda, Raedd, Readd, Dreda, Dreadbot, Deadr, Dr. Dae, Dreadster, Mr. Dreadful, Dared, Eradd, Lord Dread, Aeddr, Dread X, Weapon Dread, Iron Dread, Ardde, Dread Guy, Dread Beast, Dread & Bones, Dread or Dead, Dreadscar, Mildread.

They were the most rambunctious of the bunch, however their efficiency made them terrifying to even Vixen. There were all hell-bent in serving Marco, pledging their lives to him no matter the mission, no matter the danger…no matter the cost.

They also had the highest injury rate out of all of the divisions. That didn't deter them in the slightest, as if spurred by it they made themselves the de facto Elite Guard of StudMuffin as they ignored any and all orders that didn't come from Marco directly.  
Even if it came from him they would ignore it, they were like zealots putting Marco's wellbeing especially in the field over theirs.

Marco was extremely uncomfortable with the steadfast loyalty of his devout members.

Especially when they went on missions that were for his own personal agenda, nothing to fill their pockets with gold or loot or gain something out of it. Marco could see the curiosity, when he tried to explain it the mercs just looked at him funny as the curse activated but responded nonetheless with,

"We don't understand the situation StudMuffin, but since it's important to you, it's important to us. After all: we live and die by your command, StudMuffin."

 _We live…and die…by your command, Studmuffin…_

Vixen urged Marco to take his Dread Squad for these 'selfish' mission since they wouldn't speak of it to the rest of the Warband and the group quickly grew to be Marco's go-to squad, something the other Warband members begun to notice…

"So Kelly…what brings you here?" Marco asked, but knowing her she wanted to see what he was up to.  
"Marco, you're such a busybody, do you know what's today?" Kelly laughed.  
"Uh…"

Kelly gave him a reproachful look, Vixen looked intrigued,

"It's your birthday! Happy 16th birthday!"  
"REALLY?!" Vixen exclaimed, "Yay! And you don't look a day older!"

Marco blinked, his mouth agape.

"R-Really, I thought—I mean…" time had totally slipped his mind, for some reason he wasn't as affected as he thought. He could tell time was passing but he looked the same as ever.

Kelly grabbed his hand, shaking him out of his thoughts and pulled him along, "C'mon, where do you want to go? Where do you want to do? It'll be my treat!"

Vixen smiled at the scene before she grabbed the two of them,  
"Oh no, you two love birds aren't going anywhere~ if you skip out on the Warband; they'll make you pay!"

The two were hoisted by the merc and ran back to the camp, yelling at the top of her lungs what special day it was.

"WARBAND! GUESS WHAT DAY IT IS!"

"…"  
[cricket noises]  
"Just tell us." Called out Davide, Vixen blew her tongue at them.

"IT'S STUDMUFFIN'S BIRTHDAY!" Vixen crowed, Marco saw the glint in everyone's eyes at the words and wrestled free. Kelly just laughed as Marco tried to flee from the camp from the flooding Warband.

Marco tried to run but the entire Warband descend upon him cornering him, he called the sword but Kelly quickly got loose and latched on to Marco, "C'mon Marco, have some fun with them! They'll love it! You'll love it!"

Marco was torn between running and Kelly's upbeat outlook.  
He sighed and surrenders himself to the Warband.  
And chaos ensued.

The birthday party was on such short notice, many members quickly ran groceries, others to a crafts store for decorations and the rest began to move and transform the camp for the birthday feast. Marco watched in fascination the speed of the Warband to party, Marco helped move things along as did Vixen and Kelly, with so much going on the Warband's emotions hit a record high for both positivity and ferocity.

"Hey does this banner look good?"  
"Move that there, no, _there_! Damnit, are you blind, Cyrilo?!" "Are you, Dune?!"  
"Is the barbecue done yet, Ardde?" "You ask me that again, Epsilon, I'm going to slather this here bullet in barbecue sauce and send you to Flavortown. Permanently."  
"Stud, what kind of music do you want?" "Should we get a DJ?" "I'm a great DJ!" "No, you're not Barley."

Marco watched as the Warband bicker but ultimately got the party nice and comfy, there were plenty tables, food, drinks courtesy of Agata and Josef's stash, a dance floor and such for the party. Vixen pulled Marco forward and the Warband wolf whistled and hollered at the leader, Marco was ready to leap out of his skin at the sight of so many people looking at him with the intensity of [insert comparison here].

"Ladies and gents, I use those terms loosely," the Warband jokingly booed Vixen, "This lovable guy thought he could get away with his birthday being unnoticed!"

"How could you, Stud?!" "For shame!" "SHOTS TILL YOU DROP!"

Vixen turned to Marco,  
"Now you're gonna see how the Warband parties, and this birthday party is one thing you will never forget!"

Marco took the mic from Vixen, looking a little peeved,  
"You talk as if I never seen you animals party before—I TAUGHT YOU HOW TO PARTY! REEEEEEEEEE!"

And the Warband went wild.

The next hours came to Marco like a blur as he was dragged all over the place, playing music, dancing, eating, drinking, singing, doing games and just being merry. They were particularly loud; in fact at one point Marco's hearing had gone out and he clapped his hands over his ears hoping to get it back.

When he did he was greeted to more music, his Warband laughing and singing, some were smoking and drinking the night away, others danced with each other sweating through their clothes, others stuffed their faces and many merely socialize, albeit more freely than ever.

Then he was pulled away from his musing,

"Shots for StudMuffin!" yelled Aodh, arm around Marco's shoulder, he held a bottle high as the members cheered. Marco looked around for an escape route, but to his dismay he was surrounded by his red face crew, Aodh gestured at some of the members forward.

"C'mon bitches, show me those titties!"  
"Fuck off, only Stud can demand that!" Lady Dread, Mildread and Arabelle snarled. They however still undid their top and balanced a shot glass on their cleavage to which Aodh drunkenly spilled liquor over it.

"FUCK THAT'S COLD!" "HEY!" "ASSHOLE DON'T WASTE THE LIQUOR!"  
The Warband hooted at the drenched racks presented, Marco felt his face redden as Aodh pushed him closer,  
"DRINK BITCH!"

Marco didn't budge.  
The Warband began to chant, Marco looked around frantically to see even Vixen and Kelly joining in their faces a scarlet hue. He sighed and leaned forward and tipped the glass so he could drink the strong liquor, the crowd cheered and he did so again and again.

He pulled back and his mouth burned and his vision swam, the scent of sweat and liquor heavy on his nose, but nonetheless he raised his arms up and the Warband cheered. Then Marco was introduced to three sweaty and sticky cleavages all over his face.

"Sing for us, Stud!"  
"I'm not a great singer!"

Marco frowned as his vision was impaired already, he shook his head as he started to sing, using one of his Earthling songs.

"Old McDonald had a farm~"  
"BOO!" "MOO!"

"Oh fine!  
To the window, to the wall [to the wall]  
To the sweat drip down my ball [my balls]  
To all these bitches crawl [crawl]  
To all skeet skeet motherfucker~ [motherfucker]  
All skeet skeet got damn [got damn]!"

The Warband roared in approval and joined in and Marco sang until his voice was raw.  
Then Despacito 2 came up.

He managed to leave the crowd and put some grub in his stomach and drink to soothe his parched throat before he was dragged away again.

"Lap dances for StudMuffin!" Bibi sang out to the Warband, Marco paused at the words.  
"…okay, maybe—ow!"

A drunk Vixen glared at him, Kelly right behind her followed by Lady Dread, Arabelle, Mildread, Bryndis, Orly Bir, Zerline and Oliviane Foxbend.

"Sit-t your ass dow, Sud~!" slurred Vixen as the girls practically climbed all over him whilst he was on a chair before it promptly broke as all of them merely sat where they could.  
There was no sexy lap dance.  
Just hot sweaty women all over Marco…

Untangling himself, Marco wanted to scold them all, but seeing them laugh and help each other up Marco decided to let it slide and really let loose, uninhibited by his usual responsibilities and duties as leader…

Marco danced with every member of the Warband at least once before Vixen and Kelly decided to get him all to themselves, gyrating with him in the middle. Vixen had the advantage of being older and mature but Kelly stuck to him like glue, hanging off his back.

It would have been great if it wasn't for the fact he was dead drunk by then, taking gulps from a bottle and only standing up by the two sandwiching him. When they parted, he promptly crashed into the ground and blacked out.

.

Marco blinked blurry, he looked around seeing himself in a darken tent, he mumbled something before he winced feeling as if his head was crushed like a soda can. He blinked mercifully for a minute before things reorient itself, he saw that Kelly was passed out on the cot next to him. Her fluffy green hair tucked and she was turned to her side, a drool on her lip.

He sniffed, leaned over and puked, he blinked when he saw he was adding to the mess already on the floor.

"Oh goodie, you're awake." "V-Vixen?"

He could see her outline move towards him, she lit a nearby lantern and he was taken back: she was in the nude.

"Happy Birthday, big boy~"  
"Vixen…you…"

She grinned and quickly took off the blanket and began to unzip his clothes, he tried to stop her but she muscled through until he was naked and helpless.

"Now Marco…you're all mine~" "Kelly is…right there…" Vixen shrugged.

"She can watch her boyfriend get ridden on by a real woman. Honestly, I thought you'd be older but…a young man will just have to do."

"Kelly is not…my girlfriend."  
"Oh? Then who is she?"

Marco looked sorrowful for a moment, "She's my friend." "After tonight? That's a hard friend zone move."

"…it's for her safety…if I made her…who knows what the curse would do…I'm afflicted, branded, I don't deserve happiness until I lift this curse off me."

Vixen stared at him, her eyes trained on him.

"That curse again…I don't care. I want you, Marco. Every since I was a child, I dreamt of you. I want to stand by your side. And now that I can…doesn't that mean anything?"

Marco could see Vixen's face, it was beautiful…and sad.

He couldn't muster the words to comfort her.  
She looked away, her hair curtaining her face as she continued to whisper, this wasn't the confident second in command Vixen…this was a Vixen waiting for Marco to return, but he never did. She sat there as if collecting her thoughts before she put it into words, he could feel the tremble in them.

"I thought…when I would go looking for you, you'd be older. Much older than me. I was just a wee child and you already a seasoned merc…I'd hope you'd be single, I dared to hope since you're such a ladies man, and I was right…dragging her along. But…I always hoped there would be room for me…even if the years did pass me by…"

That bit was true, Marco hardly looked a day older while the adventuring aged everyone else.  
It gnawed at him why he evaded advancing aging in the dimensions, but it seemed it did a toll on Vixen.

"But instead it's me whose older than you…" Vixen inhaled shakily, as if saying it out loud brought her to her senses, "Gosh look at me, I'm straddling a teenager. Of course you'd want to date someone your age, not someone whose older, I'll be a hag before you're an adult, gods why didn't I see this before?"

Marco just laid there like a brick, unsure what to do, he clumsily reached out for her but she quickly turned away, trying to cheerfully laugh to mask her sadness and revelations.

"Hahaha…hah…sorry Marco I shouldn't have undress you…or you know, made you a man before you're ready…this is just a really lucid dream, I never did this, Marco. Please forget about it."

Vixen hopped off him but he was resolute this time and caught her hand, she stopped feeling his hand over her pulse that thrummed rapidly,

"Vixen, wait I—"  
"Don't. Marco, I'll follow you like I promise."  
"Vixen—"  
"But don't fabricate feelings for me because I said this…I shouldn't have said anything, but I can't lie to myself anymore, I can't just pretend I don't have passionate feelings…just know Marco…I love you; I mean that. Everyone in this Warband loves you, adores you, respects you…we all do. You gave them a chance…especially when you didn't have one."

Marco's grip slacken and she pulled herself free.  
Vixen dressed herself then him and walked out of the tent.

Alone in the tent with a sleeping Kelly. He remained sitting up as the lantern ran out of oil and flicker, outside the tent the party was still booming albeit less than before. Marco sat in the darkness, his mind muddled with drink and confession.

"…I'm…just a coward."

 ** _You are a coward. And a gutless one at that._**

Marco touched his chest, he breathed shakily, he could feel the Roman Numeral 2…  
And the rate he was going, he would never get rid of Monster Arm.  
Or complete the Unbinding.

* * *

The next day, after a mean hangover and some birthday cake Marco went about the Warband business, Vixen was the same as ever, super cheerful and super clingy. The events of the night before didn't seem to slow her down in the slightest.

 ** _That's because she's bidding her time…dumbass.  
_** _Hey. Shut up. Just shut up.  
 **Oh? You're upset? GOOD. I haven't eaten in a while. Too much happiness gives me indigestion.**_

Despite Vixen's feelings revealed, she didn't let it affect the dynamics between them; and the Warband continued to take jobs and Marco attempting to do Impossible Tasks.

 **[Skin the legendary draco bunny: Accomplished]  
[Lift a curse bond: Accomplished]  
[Besiege the Carrion Castle: Accomplished]**

Not all of the jobs and bounties Marco took involved fighting, some jobs require them to do agricultural and construction jobs, search and rescue missions, negotiations and the like. StudMuffin would have scoffed at the jobs he took, but unlike his mentor Marco wanted his Warband to learn to take jobs that didn't need bloodshed, so if they wished they could go to a life without being a mercenary.

A way out.

With Marco skillfully teaching his Warband and with the way they were organized, the small but elite group began to make waves through the Mercenary Circle, many of which found irritable due to more competition. However, when they found out the fearsome 'StudMuffin' was leading them only a brave few would dare openly defy the budding merc group.

Marco was tentative on bringing new blood, especially since the Warband were former prisoners and came from a City of Malice, who knows if there were bounties on their heads. So the group took to themselves, not openly mingling with other groups; many of the other merc groups took to it as secretive and suspicious. The Warband wouldn't be turned away but they were not welcome everywhere due to the precautions that had to be taken, only gaining a painfully few allies.

But that mattered little to the merry Warband, so long there were jobs to do, so long there were cold drinks and hot food, so long as they could live as they pleased, they followed Marco wherever he tread. Be it the battlefield or the super market, it was never a dull moment with their leader, StudMuffin.

And life for the Warband continued.  
And with a good streak of Accomplished Impossible Tasks, Marco wrote down himself a list of potential tasks to complete, he was still ways to go but he was confident he would make it before he was too old.

He kept a vigilant eye out too for tales or legends of something akin to an Impossible Task, often going to libraries, talking to chiefs or the elderly for information, sometimes-questionable shops. Like the dragon he slew, Impossible Tasks would come from strange places and sometimes it was blatantly obvious.

So when Marco heard hushed whispering of a mirror that killed its victim and the mirror itself could not be destroyed, he discreetly gathered as much information as possible for its location. Marco pulled the hood down, assuring himself it was an Impossible Task, however this one in particular…felt foreboding.

"Can't be destroyed, huh? That won't be a problem for you." Marco glanced at the sword as it grew some sharp teeth at his words. The sword had begun to act funny since he started the Impossible Tasks, sometimes it acted out on its own.

Marco tried to put it out of his mind as he tracked down the murder mirror, slipping away from the Warband, Epsilon saw him but after a bribe of Snookers Bar, he shut up. Marco was relieved; as luck would turn out that the mirror was near the Warband's encampment, give or take a couple klicks.

Marco took his bike and drove off to a rather distant part of the land, scaling down a cliff and into a damp cave, however it seemingly had a staircase carved out of the stone. Marco cautiously walked down the flight, the rocks around him giving an eerie blue glow but he lit his sword aflame anyways and got to the bottom. There were no other passages and it led into a wide room with the said mirror stretching across one side, polished and pristine despite being around for years.

The Dark Knight held the sword aloft as he walked closer, unsure how the mirror killed its victims.

All he saw was himself walking closer to the mirror, the flaming sword reflecting upon it; stalagmites and stalactites here and there in the strange hidden cave.

He looked at himself, seeing his young but distraught face mired with his past hardships, his deeds weighing heavily on his shoulders. He was even slouching, his neck bending lower

Marco spun, his sword flaring out as the abomination creeping behind him shriek in the mirror but none was actually behind him.

The cave room shook, as if angry it could not fell its prey, Marco spun and sent the flames across the room illuminating it: there were bony remains of past victims, some severed limbs and fingers…lucky ones. Marco turned back to the mirror, this time his reflection was obscured by a black smoky image of a person,

 **Ah, the Traitor still lives! Pity that…**

Marco frowned at the venom words, "I see my reputation precedes me."

 **I wasn't talking to you, insignificant speck.  
I'm talking to that Traitor.**

Marco felt the sword grow teeth and chatter, drool dripping from the blade itself.

"This is the Sword of Pendragon, the Traitor's Sword."

 **An apt name!** the image sneered.

"What are you. Who are you."

 **I am the Murdering Mirror, the Phantom Mirror…all these names of your kind, but I am truly called—[PHaGe].**

Marco narrowed his eyes, the name seemed…unnatural, he could understand it but the way the words reached him. No…it spoke directly into his mind, that's why it seemed so inhuman to him.

 **Now. What do you want here, worm. If you think there be treasure like your foolish kind thought up then you're dreadfully mistaken…no treasure to be had: only death at the hands of an Immortal. You should be honored.**

Marco paused at the words.

"Immortal. What is that exactly—I know you can't die of old age, shut up. But what is an Immortal exactly."

The image glared at him for being cut off so suddenly,

 **An Immortal is your better. We existed long before any of your kind came to be. In fact…we made you all, tiny insignificant things you are.**

"If you're all powerful, why are you in a mirror." Marco spat.

The Immortal looked pleased at the insult,

 **Hmph, it was frowned upon by my fellows to kill lesser beings, even if they are our creation—our children per se. I saw fit to slaughter dimensions filled with rubbish, you were taking up space in MY universe, I would make better creations—better children in my image. Alas, my brothers and sisters did not take kindly to my ways and banished me here…inside this mirror.**

Marco gripped the sword,  
"Good to know that not all Immortals are assholes."

 **Heh, I was merely getting in the way, they were doing the exact same thing as I.**

Marco cocked his arm and threw the sword, but the sword skidded off the ground as something from the far corner of the mirror smashed into Marco sending him flying. The image roared and dived for Marco and he felt the oppressive titanic force on him throat, he summoned the sword back to him and swung; the Immortal image leapt from him and backed away, surprised that the sword was called back.

Marco rolled to his feet, his eyes darkening, the Immortal backed away further cursing that the mirror was the furthest it could go,

 **Stay that blade, it will give you no joy slaying an Immortal.**

Marco smiled malicious at the frighten Immortal,  
"That's where you're wrong."

Marco flung the sword at the mirror with all his might, the Immortal leapt aside and went for Marco but to its surprise, Marco raced for it and crashed into it and flinging the Immortal to where the sword embed itself and it screamed as Marco hit the cold stone.

And screamed and screamed.  
The entire place shook from the volume and Marco sincerely hoped it didn't cause a cave-in.

Then there was silence.

Marco cautiously remove his hands; feeling suddenly drained from tangling with something comparable with a God. He looked around the room, not seeing the blasted image of the Immortal. He grunted as he got to his feet and grabbed the sword,

 **You dare…LAY A HAND ON AN IMMORTAL!?**

Marco held the sword, ready to rend the image where ever it appeared.  
He slowly looked at the mirror surface and behold two eyes, burning with loathing and vindication even as the sword held it in place.

 **The price of victory will be a steep…heh heh HAH HAH HAAHAHAAHA!**

Marco felt an unnatural pull and he felt as if his reflection was pulled forward. Without warning the sword lights up just as Marco falls into the mirror splitting in half. Immediately on the other side he is thrashed by the enraged Immortal. Neither of them aware of what truly happened.

 **YOU WILL DIE IN MY PRISON!**

"NO!" Marco fought back but the Immortal even in its death throes, refused to die so easily.

The sword brilliantly lit up again, Immortal screamed in unholy agony as the very sword purged it with divine punishment as it held up Marco, disintegrating.

 **[Destroy the Phantasm Mirror: Accomplished]  
[Kill a malicious Immortal: Accomplished]**

Marco slammed hard on the stone floor, he rolled himself to face the other side, his vision darken as he saw two figures looking at him before he succumbed to darkness…

* * *

Marco felt something hard pressed against his chest, groaning he reached inside and pulled out the dented pocket watch, his first merc payment. He looked at carefully before he blinked, seeing something on the tarnished reflection, he slowly looked up and pressed his hand forward.  
His hand pressed against something flat and solid.

His eyes drifted towards two eerie figures before him, one in dark ornate armor and the other in blood stained robes, one held a flaming sword the other a frost covered blade.

"Ah. He is conscious."  
"Good timing to~!"

Marco slowly stood up as two figures threw back their hoods revealing two Marcos staring back at him from the other side of the mirror. They looked eerily similar to him, like his own reflections but there was something…off about them.

One grinned too widely, as if he was waiting for this moment.  
The other wasn't at all expressive, in fact his face was blank to the situation presented.

"…what the fuck happened? Who are you?"

The two looked at him before they spoke, despite their identical appearance their voice and tone differ greatly,

"Introductions are in order. Well met, Marco Diaz. I am Ocram Zaid of Frigid Logic."  
"And I am the devilish Warco Diaz, the Passionate Flame of Instinct~" He said confidently before doing a dual pistol finger at him

Marco could only stare at the two.  
Unsure if he was hallucinating.

"What the…what are you?"

The two glanced at each other and at the same time looked back at him.

"We are you."  
"Half of you anyways, it seems that fucking git of a mirror split you in the last instance! It took you prisoner but the sword must have interfered in an unexpected way~"

Marco looked at them: one spoke in bored monotone, the other expressive down to his choice of words. He shook his head slowly, not comprehending what had happened.  
 _…am I so simple? To be bisect by emotion and logic so easily…?_  
"Wait—what how long have I been here!?"

Warco bent over laughing, Ocram merely stood there,  
"You were gone for a week, so your Warband has been frantically searching for you to no avail. They are on the verge of splintering. And with no leadership and no one to turn to—"  
"They've gone raiding nearby towns for answers. Some of them are considering to go rogue, gonna have to put them down otherwise~"

Marco's head swirled with the news, he was unconscious and missing for a week? His Warband going rogue? Him being split in two?

"GET ME OUT OF HERE! RIGHT NOW!"

The two looked back at him, unperturbed by the demand,

"We will, however…you have to understand what we did in the meantime." Warco said somewhat somberly, Ocram robotically nodded.

Marco narrowed his eyes despite feeling a pit in his stomach at the words.  
"…what did you do."

"We know about the Impossible Tasks, Marco. After all we are you, whatever you know: we know. Warco and myself are two sides of you: fiery emotion and cold logic."

Marco just stared at them.  
The two shrugged indifferently.

"We completed 50 Impossible Tasks while you slept. 4 years apiece for the two of us." They didn't look a day older than him.  
"And if the Goddess only chooses to honor half well, we still did 50 for you~"

Marco's felt as if something smacked him with a sack of bricks,  
"There are tasks that require you to do despicable things! Which ones did you do!?"

Warco smiled sinisterly while Ocram shrugged,  
"ALL OF THEM."

Marco felt light headed.  
If they said was true…then half of them would have been for naught. Useless. Unnecessary.

"WHY!?"

Warco glared at him.  
Ocram's stoic face actually hardens.

"Because we will not shy away from what must be done."  
"You want out. We want out as well. More so than you."

"At the cost of—!"  
"Don't you start preaching!" Warco roared, "Especially to yourself!"

Marco stared at Warco, his brown eyes turning violent red, Ocram faced him and told him flatly,  
"While exploring your internal struggles would be insightful, we simply do not have the time to indulge it, Marco."

"…" Marco felt the combined fury of the two however contrasting one another; one of fiery feelings, the other cold calculation,  
"…what have _I_ done."

"A great slew of many things, pull down your hood if you can stomach it~!" Warco sneered.  
"As have I." Ocram intoned.

Marco thickly swallowed and pulled his hood before a comprehensive list came crashing over his vision,

 **[Incite a war with a peaceful nation: Accomplished]  
[Incite a revolution with a prosperous nation: Accomplished]  
[Incite a rebellion with a nation: Accomplished]  
[End a family line: Accomplished]  
[Destroy a benevolent organization: Accomplished]  
[Track down and kill the deserters: Accomplished]  
[Slay an Innocent: Accomplished]  
[Lead a Massacre: Accomplished]**

 **[Uphold Absolute Law: Accomplished]**  
 **[Judge the Innocent: Accomplished]**  
 **[Judge the good intention: Accomplished]**  
 **[Deliver swift justice: Accomplished]**  
 **[Build an unyielding government system: Accomplished]**  
 **[Beat a rigged tournament: Accomplished]**  
 **[Beat the system: Accomplished]**  
 **[Do Nothing: Accomplished]**

And a multitude of Tasks he specially avoided.  
Marco threw the hood back and collapsed to his feet, breathing heavily, cold sweat all over him.  
He couldn't…he didn't want to see what those Impossible Tasks cost.

The two said nothing and merely grabbed hold of the Traitor's Sword.  
Gesturing for him to do the same, he slowly touched the blade.

"Judge us. Hate us. But do not deny we did what; we did for our sake."

And the two pulled.

"OhbythewayIsawHekapoogoshshewasthiccimquitedisappointedthatyouneverhititoffwithheragainwhatiswrongwithyouohbythewayifsomebitchescomeaskingaboutmejustsaidiwenthometheymightmistakeyouwithmethoughbythebygotmydicksuckedascompensationacoupletimesthoughtyoushouldknowaboutthat."  
"You know he'll remember everything we did right. Why bother spilling it now. By the by, all the profit I earned is in a chest somewhere in the Wasteland."

The two of them began to twist and meld into a single body as did the swords that the two held began to twist together. Marco seemingly seeped through the Traitor's sword and appeared on the other side. And all the experiences from the two came crashing upon the Dark Knight, all the carnage they wrought...all the lives they took...Marco stumbled back weakly pulling out the Traitor's Sword free and the twisted sword still in his other hand. The memories were like sudden flares, some were distinct other blurry, but the cacophony of cries, screams and yells made whose memories indistinguishable.

He get to dwell on the memories for long as the combined weight of the armor and gear of Warco and Ocram became too much to bear. He pulled it free off himself as the additional weight; the pieces of armor and such clatter on the stone floor. Once he was free he gasped feeling as if time had restarted for him and his body, feeling the absences of water, food and sleep of a week's worth came down on him hard.  
Weakly, he fell to his knees before opting to crawl for the steps, leaving both swords and things behind.

Crawling a couple feet nearly caused him to black out but still he persisted. He looked above him, seeing the blurry flight of steps he gritted his teeth for the inevitable climb, he agonized the first few before he could hear someone rushing down the steps, he tiredly called his sword back to him, ready to fight with sword in hand even if it meant he was flat on his stomach.

"Marco?! MARCO!"  
"Whose Marco?!"  
"Stud!" "STUDMUFFIN!"

He winced at the volume as Kelly and Vixen came into view, they were disheveled from their hair to their attire. Next came in the Dread Squad, looking every bit distraught but their faces lit up to see Marco, they quickly hoisted him up. Dreadlocke ran and picked up his second fallen sword followed by Adder and Eradd when he gestured to his things as they carried him to the sunlight.

But even in the arms of his Warband, his friends…Marco couldn't shake off the chill that Warco and Ocram had done and said to him. What he would be capable of…if he let himself be driven solely by Warco or Ocram, he'd be a remorseless killing machine.  
A forgotten snide voice rang out in his delirium,

 ** _The next time you hear a voice in your head, Marco…think about it: could it be really your own?_**

.

Back in the camp, the Warband were relieved with Marco's reappearance before they yelled at him at the top of their lungs at being abandoned without notice. Vixen tried to quell their distress and hold them together until he returned to no avail; Kelly fared no better especially when many saw her as just one of Stud's many groupies. Normally, him being gone for a week wasn't an issue, but their camp this time was in less than friendly territory and with no one to turn to nor allies to lean on they became desperate and weary.

Once the Warband went looking for StudMuffin and asking questions, word spreads fast…and some took the golden opportunity.

Kelly got Marco to rest in his tent while Vixen and the Dread Squad stood guard, right now the tension was high in the Warband with Marco always mysteriously leaving for his agenda and recent events. Many of them thinking it was something underhand, but did not voice it seeing as Stud were their leader and savior.

But now…embers of unrest had formed.

Kelly drapes a moist rag on Marco's brow before feeding him some hearty soup, weakly slurping the spoonful. Kelly looked at him, her face marred with worry,

"Marco…I can't stand seeing you do this, it's bad enough I think you're unwell but when you get yourself like this…you're torturing yourself with these—these Impossible Task! You have to stop, please!"

"…I can't…I can't…you know I can't or I'll can be free…"

"You're obsessed…what will it take for you to stop?" Kelly questioned him.

"…I don't know anymore."

Kelly reached out and held Marco, unbeknownst to them, their words reached a silent audience who couldn't help but listen in to Marco's woes.

Tears dripping down their faces…

 **XxXxXxXxX**

* * *

 **[Read the disclaimer]**

Whew. Almost there, just one more Flashback Chapter and I'll be good with Marco's character development Arc. God the editing :-(  
I originally planned for Ocram and Warco to fight over Marco after he killed the mirror and lock him up in the mirror, but I had to heavily revise my drafts to make things work. The two did a many despicable things to get things done, leading Marco to have nightmares and other issues.

 **Songs in order of appearance:**  
Old Mcdonald had a Farm  
Lil Jon & The East Side Boyz : Get Low

I know this part of the fanfic hasn't been for everyone, but it just had to happen.  
The chapter after the next will be Hestia's time to shine.

Next Chapter:  
The Warband

 _tu ne me reconnaiss pas?  
_ I AM NRG

 **END OF TRANSMISSION**


	22. Chapter 22

.  
 **Disclaimer:** and so it ends.

 **Chapter 21**

The Warband

 **XxXxXxXxX**

* * *

"He was my only son! My only heir!"  
"Then go make another one!"  
Screaming.

He laughed gleefully, drenched in blood, he walked a top a sea of bodies, each step oozed with blood. He spun and threw his flaming sword again, impaling another. He walked over and kicked over the body, a frighten boy stared at him wide eye. He pulled the flaming sword out, sizzling away the blood.

"We did nothing wrong! Nothing at all!"  
"You broke the law of the land."  
"Please mercy! It'll never happen again!"  
"And it wont."  
Frozen steel rend through flesh, bones and sinew.  
He looked down with pitiless eyes.

Marco sat up clutching himself, tears streaming.  
He angrily wiped them, breathing heavily, _I didn't, it was—!_

Marco sat in his cot for a moment, taking in what he was about to blame…himself. Warco and Ocram no matter how twisted they were…they were him and in extension…  
He looked around his tent, Kelly had gone home days ago and Vixen was busy contending with the Warband while he rest.

It wasn't right.

The Warband was in an uproar and he couldn't show his face to make things better. He could hear them yelling at Vixen and the Dread Squad and their points were valid. After being saved they had their lives back, something they thought they wouldn't have since imprisonment and since then Marco was their crutch.

Being gone for a week without notice sent them spiraling back to that terrible time in their life.  
He could hardly blame them.

Marco laid back on his cot, the darken tent providing no comfort as his turbulent thoughts and memories flared up, he winced seeing an image of a broken man grasping someone in his arms.  
And he felt nothing.

Then the image changed.  
He was being compensated for some bloody deed.  
A regal woman offered herself. She begged it to be her. He declined. Instead he took her innocent daughter.

Marco gritted his teeth at the memory bleed and blocking it extensively, it had been a few days and still he was haunted by the nightmares…how many faceless begging innocents he put to the blade? Marco shudder to think why Warco and Ocram would suddenly just come back…and the time difference between him and them. Nothing about it made sense, what was going on?

"Marco?" his name thud against the tent frabric, he called out,  
"Vixen…"

Marco didn't make eye contact as she entered, she smiled holding a tray of food, "Good, you're awake, you must be hungry."

Marco didn't say anything.  
Vixen put the tray down by his desk and took the chair and sat next to him.

"Feeling better?"  
"…I'm well enough, I need to talk to the Warband."  
"That can wait, you need to rest."  
"I've rested enough."

Vixen's smile didn't drop at the cold tone, Marco regretted it.  
"…what is really going on, Marco."  
"Vixen…I've told you about the Impossible Tasks…so…many…times…but all you do is smile and nod your head. Not caring nor understanding the gravity of it. The Blood Moon Goddess she—"  
"Marco. If you're gonna stress over it: just _don't_ do it. Whatever it is, what would it do to you?" Vixen said softly, "What could it possibly take away from you?"

Marco looked at her.  
His eyes welling up.

"It can take everything from me." Marco hunker down, feeling so very small, so vulnerable…so wretched that he would stoop to spilling blood, "It has. It took away my first love…pulled me away from my friends and family…from my home and put me in Mewni…made me a servant to my bond partner whose dating a prince…and now I'm murdering my way up a list so I could be free…and if I can't stomach these Tasks, if I don't make Star my beloved, that curse would make me sabotage myself so I go crawling back to her…grovel for forgiveness…say I was wrong no matter how untrue it is…I live in torment! My life isn't even my own anymore!"

"Oh, Marco…" Vixen sympathetically stroked his back,  
"You have such a vivid imagination. There's no such thing as a Blood Moon Goddess."

Marco cried, his hands all over his face.  
"I've told you this so many times! Why!? Why wont you believe me…why wont anyone believe me…?"

Vixen soothingly stroked his back, fed him and left the tent.  
Tears dripped as she left.  
She wiped them not understanding why.

* * *

"Stud is resting up, he'll be fine."  
"He was yelling at you again."  
"It's fine, he's just in shock I mean he was stuck in that cave for a week. No food, water, anything really. I'm surprised he stave off for so long."

The Dread Squad looked at Stud's tent, if anyone got closer sobbing could be heard inside.  
Vixen sighed and pulled out a piece of parchment, she swiped it as she left, "He keeps looking at this and crossing things out, take a look; this _is_ what you guys wanted to look at right?"

The squad crane their necks and read the uncrossed items, they frowned and others openly cussed.

"Damn, half the shit here are downright impossible! You think he managed to do it?"  
"Maybe he crossed it out thinking its too hard."  
"Dunno. Look guys, I'm putting this back, I'm going to change Stud's clothes he's been in that hoodie for far too long."

Adder took the parchment, Vixen frowned and reached for it, "I want to keep looking at this, if Stud is so interested we might end up going to help him." "You mean tag along without his permission."

Adder held out his hands, "Whoa, touchy. C'mon, he's so secretive, I don't get these Impossible Tasks or this Goddess he keeps rambling about but if we help finish this list maybe he'll tell us. And maybe he'll just stop doing all together."

Vixen shook her head slowly,  
"I wish you're right…and if you're not, you're just gonna piss him off. Put that back when you're done."

The Dread Squad watched Vixen leave before Dreadlocke took a pen and paper and began to scribble down the items.

"Alright, guys, gals, half the shit here would normally send us over river and dale. You still want to do these chores for StudMuffin, right?"

The Dread Squad looked at the list, seeing some things that would never dream nor attempt to do. It would take a fuckin' miracle to accomplish any of them.

"Yes." They said in unison. They held out their hand, a V shape brand on their palms.  
"We used to solely live to kill our tormentors in that city…now our Vengeance Pact—our lives belongs to StudMuffin."

Dreadlocke took the scribbles of paper and handed to the Dread Squad and they quickly disperse.

* * *

Marco stood up from his cot, he looked at his watch and tried to measure how much time had passed…a couple hours most likely. He felt out of place…as if he had no idea what he was doing anymore, it started out fine…find his teachers, learn from them and figure out how to fix his Mewni problem and the Unbinding…

Marco scowled.

But instead he took one of the most bloodiest trade possible: a mercenary.  
And everything that came afterwards…he did what was right…what he believe was _right_ …but now things were muddled…complicated.

 _I wonder if StudMuffin is laughing at me…bet thinks this is payback for being gone for years…I could really do with some coarse advice, StudMuffin…_

Marco sighed and took a look around the tent, pausing as something was amiss.  
He walked over his desk and saw some of his documents pushed around.  
His list was gone.

Startled, he looked around, on the floor and the drawers but found nothing, Marco touched the desk trying to visualize what could have happened, could he have thrown it away or…?

He could hear the Warband yelling.  
Louder than usual.

He dressed himself and took his sword with him.  
He looked at the twisted sword, Warco's and Ocram's butcher sword, he tentatively touched it and felt a wave of unease wash over him.

He left it behind.

Marco looked around and saw the Warband going through their usual routine and patrol, some cooking, others fixing their weapons or doing chores, other doing projects like repairs. He frowned seeing Vixen look around worriedly, she saw him and ran straight for him.

The Warband noticed and followed too.

"StudMuffin, I can't find the Dread Squad! I was supposed to send them off for some wet work! I've ran around the camp 5 times already looking for them!" Vixen snarled, "They better not be goofing off!"

Marco wasn't amused by the notion either, they were a handful but they always listened when it mattered the most. The Warband began to mutter too,

"Come to think of it, I haven't seen Brooke all day…"  
"Yeah, Arabelle isn't here…"  
"Peyton is missing too."

"Those three are out on a job, they'll be back." Vixen assured them.

Marco felt a pit in his stomach hearing all the members missing, this wasn't some prank or them playing hooky. This was too coordinate. For the Dread Squad.

Marco glanced down on his sword and looked at Vixen, "Put the Warband is on high alert, prepare yourself for anything."

"Where are you going?"

"I don't know, but if they took my list then I have a hunch they are following it." Marco said bitterly, "Damnit, why did they take it?"

"…Marco, they have that list because I took it." Vixen said quietly, Marco looked at her startled, "Why in the world would you take it?"

Vixen gave him a helpless face, "I dunno…it just seemed so important to you…but it always made you sad and secretive…"

Marco grimace at the answer…anyone would want to know…he just hoped their curiosity wouldn't get them hurt.

"I'm not angry Vixen, its just…that list only brings misery."

He tore a portal and leapt through.

.

Marco pulled his hoodie down and tried to remember which Tasks he had in mind to complete, he rifled through the list and saw a couple familiar ones for the dimension he had the Warband in and begun to visit the places.

Through trial and error he was able to cut through the list to a handful of places to search, he gritted his teeth at the time he wasted. Shearing open portals, he leapt through and quickly looked around for any signs of the Dread Squad:

He saw no one at a closed stone vault.  
He landed at an opening of a cave, bony remains everywhere but nothing fresh.  
He fell into an empty marketplace. Recently ransacked by the looks of it and left without much investigation.  
He appeared near an ancient lighthouse, he called out to the Dread Squad members but no one answered. He left, not noticing disembody pale limbs wash ashore.  
He searched a jungle, seeing many large predators stalking him, so intent in keeping them at bay he failed to see discarded ammunition shells and droplets of blood on the jungle floor.

Frustrated with the lack of success, Marco summarized they probably went back to the camp seeing as the Tasks would have been too difficult to do or maybe to find even. He slashed himself another portal and hoped he wasn't going to find an empty scene.

…or something worse.  
He pushed those thoughts back.

Marco held back a cough as the air was filled with ash, he put on some goggles and a mask to keep the ash and soot from obstructing him as he ended up on the slope of the volcano, feeling the blistering heat, he fanned the Traitor's Sword, dispersing the heat but it came back all the same.

FROST EDGE!

The sword glitter with ice and he held it aloft, buffering the heat as he looked for the entryway, he remembered this Impossible Task: Steal a Heart of a Volcano. It didn't take him long when he spotted a rope twisting in the air, he scaled the slope quickly and saw the triplets holding ice crystals as they crowd around something inside a cave, he could spy an altar of some sort.

Marco was relieved before he roared to the three of them,  
"What the hell do you think you're doing!?"

Redda, Raedd, Readd all hopped in surprise and looked at StudMuffin, "Oh, fuck that scared me!" "Damnit I nearly had a heart attack!" "I need a new change of pants…"

Marco glared at them before pointing out,  
"Get the hell out of there!"

"After we get this here jewel~" Raedd grinned, the merc tightening his hand around the pulsating jewel.

"NO!" Marco yelled and readied to throw his sword but he was too late, the moment the jewel left its resting place, it sent out a visible heatwave knocking the ice crystals out of their hands and out the cave as well as sending the triplets reeling back. Marco slammed his sword into the slope and held on as the scalding air increased tenfold at the loss of the jewel.

Marco pulled himself up to see the entryway suddenly blocked off with a red hot gate, the triplets hobbling towards him. He slammed the icy sword into the gate turning it red hot to blacken metal and tore it down cutting himself an opening, but despite that the gate began to flare back up turning hot red. While the sword was unaffected the same could not be said of Marco, his flesh singe at the heat and Marco sweat profusely, his blood near boiling.

The triplets had it worst, inside the cave they were being cooked alive, Raedd screamed as the heat began to melt his skin, his hair falling out as he hobbled towards the gate, Marco threw away any reservations for himself and tore the sword free and slashed himself a portal inside the cave.

The sword did nothing.

Marco could only stare dumbfounded at the lack of function before he heard a scream of absolute agony. He looked back inside just as Raedd handed the jewel to Readd fire pouring out of his eyes and mouth, Marco watched as Raedd slump forward and crumbled into ash.

Readd turned to Redda and agonizingly walked forward, his eyes had melted out, he held out his hand as he suddenly caught on fire, his skin charring  
but still he walked forward…  
"Stud…"

He managed to croak as his tongue melted as fire spewed out of it, Redda eye's bled and took the jewel from his brother and painfully turned his back to him. He fell into a heap of burning ash.

Marco frost the sword even further to the point it even coated his arms and tore into the gate, it hissed but he didn't care and lunged forward to reach Redda, tears sizzling down his face.

"LET ME REACH YOU!"

Redda stepped towards him even as his skin dried and cracked…  
Even when he felt like his head was fit to bursting…  
Saliva dried up…tears shed nothing…he held on to the jewel.

"DROP THAT THING! SMASH IT!"

Redda gasped and it felt as if sandpaper on fire scour his insides at the intake of breath, his eyes bubbling, he shut it for a moment and blood seeped out of his eyelids, Redda groaned knowing he just lost his vision.

Still he walked forward, tilting as each step burned his soles until there was nothing left…he held out his hands, the jewel cupped in it desperately…hoping…before he died…before he was ash…StudMuffin would…

Marco watched horrified as a blinded Redda walked forward, his body ignited in flames, burning him to a crisp, but he continued forward, he opened his mouth maybe to call for help but instead an inferno spilled out.

His feet crumbled leaving them behind as he at last with trembling fragile hands offered up the jewel to Marco. He ignored it and grabbed Redda's wrist but it crumbled to ash, his hand slipped and cupped the jewel as Redda fell to his torso…  
Marco saw for a brief second Redda's content…triumphant smile before his body crumbled to a heap just beyond his reach.

Marco stared at it before he slipped back falling on his ass.

The moment the jewel left the gate threshold the entire scorching hellish heat vanish.  
A cool comforting atmosphere replaced it.

 **[Steal a Heart of a Volcano: Accomplished]**

Marco dropped the jewel and screamed into the heavens.

.

Marco sliced through the stone vault. The massive slabs came crashing down.  
Dreda, Dreadbot and Deadr were pinned to the walls by various traps.

Marco went back to the cave, exploring it until he reached the monster's lair.  
Dread Beast, Eradd and Lord Dread were being feasted upon the monster; not noticing him. Marco slew it without remorse.  
 **[Slay the Malice Beast: Accomplished]**

Marco walked through the stalls of the marketplace.  
Dread Guy was behind a faraway stall clutching a briefcase. He was stabbed with 20 knives. Dismembered bits of Iron Dread and Dreadscar were in a kitchen.

Marco walked along the shore. Following a thick piece of rope.  
He came across Dread & Bones, Dread or Dead and Dared's eaten remains.  
Mr. Dreadful and Weapon Dread's remains floated in the waters before something scooped it from below.  
Marco threw his sword into the sea and brought a mighty bolt of lightning into the waters, killing the massive sea monster trapped by the mercs and everything else in it, turning it into a bloody red.  
 **[Slay the Ship Sinker Leviathan: Accomplished]**

Marco burnt down the entire jungle, his eyes flickered red in the fire when he found that the beasts feeding upon Aeddr, Dread X and Mildread.

Drunkenly walking out of the burning jungle, he fell to his knees…  
Guilt.  
Marco felt it crush him.  
He did this to them.

They died on a fool's errand.  
His own.

Marco felt a sob escape him.  
Then a growl reached him.  
For a moment he wished the beast maul him, to let him be punished for his crimes.  
The next moment there was a dead beast…and him shamefully alive.

"I'm…nothing but a failure…"  
"…no…Stud…"

Marco froze and looked up to see a pale Ardde limping towards him, he was missing an arm and his right eye swollen shut, he was covered in slash marks, he smiled the best he could before collapsing.

Marco quickly ran over and held him, "…knew you…would…find us…" "Damnit, Ardde…why?" "…sorry but we…"

Marco shook his head and cut open a portal, "Tell me back in camp, don't say a word."

Ardde tiredly nodded.  
And Marco carried him through.

* * *

"MARCO WHERE HAVE YOU BEEN!?" Vixen screamed the moment he appeared.

Adder, Dreadlocke and Dreadster flanked her, covered in blood, bruises and hastily applied bandages.

Marco supported Ardde the best he could as the entire camp was fitted for battle, she pointed around the encampment and he balked seeing it lined with mercs, raiders, goons, mooks, bruisers and assorted interlopers.

Marco's heart shot to his throat seeing the King of Kutthroats and the Baron of Bandits standing side by side in front of camp. Lady Dread, Dr. Dae and Dread Master kneeling before them all equally beaten up as they struggled to breath as a noose was tied to each of them as the King and Baron painfully tugged each.

"THIS IS YOUR LAST CHANCE! BRING OUT STUDMUFFIN!"  
"DO YOU NOT CARE FOR THEIR SHIT LIVES!"

Marco looked at Vixen, "I've tried to stall as long as I can, but that only made them beat the three of them…this is the third time in an hour. You have to stop them."

Marco shook himself from his disbelief, he glanced at Adder, Dreadlocke and Dreadster for a moment before Vixen fitted him with his gear and his mask. He walked out to the two, they loudly insulted him, even kicking Lady Dread with one of their spiked boots.

"AH! THE COWARDLY STUDMUFFIN HAS ARRIVED! WHAT YOU COULDN'T FIGHT US LIKE A HONEST MERC!? SENT YOUR LITTLE ASSASSINS!?"

Marco narrowed his eyes as the two glared at him, they were the superior forces in this dimension akin to a government body. Every paid dues to them, one way or another, everyone worked for them.

He didn't like them at all, true they were much older than him at least in their 70s, 80s but that matter little when they were built like a damn giant and he knew their physique wasn't for show.  
They could fight. Even in full armor styled like snarling beasts.

"I never sent my Warband to attack you. This is a misunderstanding. So it would be wise to release my mercs before things get bloody, gentlemen. Final warning." Marco said forcibly calm, despite the urge to bring down his sword at their treatment.

The two glared down at him, they stood a good foot and a half taller than him.

"Oh, is that right? You didn't sent this bitch into my castle!?"  
"Or this quack doctor into my private villa!?"

Marco cast a glance at them before he grunted through gritted teeth,  
"No."

The two laughed boisterously.

"LIAR!"

The two acted the moment they yelled, faster than the Dark Knight; Dread Master's neck snapped as the Baron yanked him back by the rope, King's serrated knife slashed across Dr. Dae and Lady Dread's throats, they gasped as blood spewed out.

Marco's vision turned violently red; he was mid-swing unleashing a blazing arc to save his mercs.  
The King's massive frame buffed through it before Baron surged forward and kicked him back into the camp, toppling through tents.

"ATTACK!"

Marco blurry blinked as Vixen helped him up, she took a pistol and began to fire, keeping him upright.  
Then he began to blackout and awaken in intervals.

Mikk fighting. _He was always so diligent…_  
Bibi being dragged away. _Always smiling…_  
Josef threw himself to block his vision, torn to bit by bullets. _Always so brave…_  
Cyrilo overwhelmed. _Loud but kind…_  
Epsilon pulled apart by Baron. _Boy had an appetite…_  
Davide pulling bruisers off Orly Bir only too be shot. _Always helpful…  
_ Dreadlocke, Dreadster and Adder holding their own. _Troublemakers…_

Vixen fighting King…tossed into a tent…he pulled out his knife.

Marco watched these transgression as if in slow motion no matter how much he wanted to get to his feet, to have sword in hand, how desperate he urged and forced himself to save his friends…he laid on his back, powerless. Aodh and Agata fired frantically, cussing and crying as their friends died miserably around them.

A steady thrum resounded in his skull as more and more of the battle encroach closer to him.  
And more of his Warband fell to the onslaught.  
Marco blinked blurry as his guards were knocked off their feet and the whoops and cries of marauders drew closer, _not like this...not on my back...if I die today I want to be on my two goddamn feet!_

 _...agreed._

 _Marco. Get on your feet.  
Stand and fight Dark Knight!  
 **FIGHT. OR DIE.**_

Marco felt his sluggish helplessness drain from his body as Warco, Ocram and the last one roared at him to act. His feebleness replaced with pumping adrenaline. A burning rage. A desire to savagely mete out vengeance!

He grunted and snarled as he pushed spittle frothed on his lips, ignoring the protest of his body, the injuries he already suffered, he got to his feet if it was going to kill him. Aodh and Agata looked at him surprised as he called his sword to him, it grew out teeth and chatter angrily, hungrily at the chaos around it.

"THERE! STUDMUFFIN!"  
"KILL HIM!"  
"TAKE HIS FUCKIN' HEAD!"

Marco rolled his neck before the sword caught on fire.  
Eyes glowing red.

 ** _"DIE."_**

In unnerving accuracy Marco unleashed a scores of blazing arcs, shredding through the camp, killing the interlopers with little issue. Some ran aflame. Others bisected. Others outright dead.

Dead.  
Dead.  
Dead.

Marco let out an animalistic battle cry and looked around the camp, after the sudden arcs tearing through the place any marauder would be addled to remain. He caught sight of Aodh and Agata staring at him as if he was something to be feared.  
They backed away from him.

"YOU'RE A DEAD MAN!"

Marco spun and brought his sword in guard just in time to block King and Baron's assault, the two elderly warriors were blooded but they had fury in their eyes, Marco had the same and it burned darker than theirs combined.

He deflected the masterful thrusts and spiked haymakers, flipping and twisting hairbreadth away from being killed. Marco laughed hysterically as his eyes shifted to a maddening blue, he became dead silent and expertly locked King and Baron with a simple guard, the two tried to muscle him down but he was clever, twisting ever so slightly with his sword and stance he made the two warrior's into a stalemate whilst looking as if he was holding them down.

The sight made the two push even harder and harder, tiring them as Marco slid slightly back as the two dug deep into the ground, hollering and cussing all the while. Sweat poured down their smelly body and thick armor, Marco merely looked indifferent, even bored at their exertion.

They caught on.

Marco spun away before the two could smash his head in, but putting them in a deadlock gave the Dark Knight plenty of time to formulate a plan. He sent a whirlwind to King while charging at Baron, nimble and lethal Marco began to hack into the armor, his eyes shifted red and he snarled and the sword grew chattering teeth. Baron took notice and immediately tried to rush Marco, but it was too late. Marco broke his tirade of blows and hacked into Baron's log of an arm finally, it bit hard and he roared, Marco twisted the blade to dislodge it and cracked the marrow. Baron threw a burly fist but Marco spun underneath it and cut down his legs above the knee, he leapt away as King came with his massive knife leaving Baron snarling at the lost of three limbs.

"YOU'LL PAY FOR WHAT YOU HAVE DONE, YOU SACKLESS SHIT!"

Marco ducked and spun away, King didn't let up and charged at him, his Warband staying as far away as possible at the sudden trampling of the two. Marco sent fire darts from his sword but the mammoth of a man tore through it, Marco charged up his sword, ready to rend the warrior with one last blazing arc, it turned red to blue to a blistering black and brought his sword down.

Blood.

It shot out from his mouth and nose.  
The sword came down but nothing happened, Marco couldn't even see King as his vision dimmed, _…wait…what just…?_

A clammy coldness seeped into him, he felt tired…tired beyond belief…he shuddered as his heart thumped weakly.

 _Fuck…I used…too much…_

"DIE STUDMUFFIN!"

Marco stumbled back, his sword still in his limp hands.  
 _This is how I'm going to die…I haven't…_

He couldn't see King anymore but the sound of his thundering stomps reached him, he could feel his maniacal glee as he drew closer…Marco waited for the inevitable knife but even so; he raised his sword the best he could.

"MARCO THRUST FORWARD!"  
"WHY YOU!"

Vixen's voice rang clear in his muddled head and did so as she commanded, he cocked his arm back and thrust forward, collapsing forward before he grunted as something massive collided with him.

In a last ditch effort to save Marco, Vixen managed to tackle King and send him tumbling forward a feat made easier since he was already charging. Marco buckled at the sudden explosive weight of his adversary, the blade punching completely through King's back, he roared as Marco held him true.

Vixen grinned tiredly at her gambit but not before King's massive hand grabbed her, she pulled out a dagger and stabbed his wrist. The other Warband members shaking out of their stupor came to her aid, Marco completely hidden by King's massive frame could not see his second in command's predicament.

Despite the mercs trying to break her free, King held strong and slammed Vixen upon the Traitor's Sword protruding out of him. Vixen snarled as King savagely twisted her on the blade as if a rag doll, the Warband cried out in anguish before they pulled Marco back allowing King to fall back down while Vixen fell from his grasp.

Marco was shook out of his delirium, seeing King on the ground gasping at the bloody gap in his chest, Vixen covered in blood, her blood.

"You…killed your…own bitch…hahahah—"  
Marco's hand subconsciously grabbed the nearest merc's pistol and blew apart his face until the pistol was empty.  
 **[Kill the King of Kutthroats: Accomplished]**

The Baron was surrounded by the surviving Warband and followed suit in spewing insults at Marco even as he grew paler by the second.  
Marco did the same to him, grabbing another pistol, emptying it and dropping it as he stumbled and crawled over to Vixen.  
 **[Kill the Baron of Bandits: Accomplished]**

He shook his head slowly as Vixen labored to breathe, she tried to smile, "Hey…there Stud…heh I mean Marco…that sword of yours is pretty damn sharp…" she joked, wheezing at the end.

"Why? Why did it come to this?"

Vixen shakily chuckled, blood dribbled out of her nose, "…I don't…regret it though…Marco, listen I have to tell you something important."

"No…you have to stop talking, we need to—" "Marco...no…" Vixen grunted as Marco tried to lift her and looked around frantically for the Medical tent…that was on fire.

"Marco…" a bloody hand turn his face to Vixen, "…it's okay…don't regret this…" "But I do! I got you killed! I got so many of you…I did this to you!"

Vixen shook her head, Marco looked at her, guilt eroding every rational thought.

"Marco, I don't have much time, so please listen: I want you to unshackle yourself from these absurd Impossible Tasks—no, don't you dare stop because of me…" Vixen groaned, Marco kept a hand pressed over the wound, she grew paler but her eyes were bright with conviction.

"I can see it in your eyes and how much it rips your soul doing it, so please for your sake…live for yourself…live a happy life…I don't want to see you punish yourself over someone else…anymore…I don't hate you, even now…I don't…so promise me…promise me that you'll be happy after it is all over…"

"How can you ask that? After all this…?"

Marco felt bitter tears drip down his face, he shook his head.  
Vixen weakly grabbed hold of his chin and made him nod.

Vixen looked at the Warband that gathered around, "Please…watch over him…"

The Warband looked apprehensive over her last request, there were far fewer members than before.

Then they all froze when Marco when he began to laugh.  
It wasn't the kind of laugh of a person suddenly snapping from grief and mourning of a loved one.  
It was a laugh that was filled with uplifting delight as if happy over the turn of events.

The Warband were sickened at Marco's echoing laughter.

Vixen merely blinked slowly at Marco, his hand over his mouth as he laughed and laughed, his smile unnerving as his eyes shifted around frighten as if it was out of his control. It felt as if all his guilt and sadness was overwritten by something foreign and funneled to him; he felt uplifted as if someone had made him happier than he had before.

Marco's mind raced as he recalled memories that were not his own, feeling out the outburst of emotion, he mentally wailed when he found it was from Star.  
Over something heartfelt Tom did for her.

"…Marco?" Vixen whispered, a bloody hand caressing his cheek before it fell back limp.

Marco felt the surge of emotions pass and he panted, he looked at Vixen, her concern eyes staring back at him.

"Vixen…? No…no…"

He silently closed them, feeling all the more horrible that her final moments were confusion, shock…and concern.

"What the fuck."  
"What an asshole…"  
"…"

Marco looked up to see his Warband glaring at him, some of them throwing dirty looks at him as they walked away, most likely looking for survivors. Putting out fires. Killing stragglers.

"What the hell was that, StudMuffin." Growled Agata.

"I…don't know." Marco said, trying to sort himself.

"BULLSHIT!" came from the surrounding Warband.  
"Vixen was your second in command how could you just laugh in her face whilst she died!"

Marco felt his anger and self-loathing bubble up, not only from the accusations but also from the sudden surge of impromptu emotions besmirching Vixen's death. He took a deep breath and waited for it to ebb away, he didn't want to take out his anger on his Warband, they a right to know and after suffering such an ordeal too.

"If I told you, any of you…you wouldn't believe me…even if you wanted to." Marco remarked bitterly.  
"Do it anyways!"  
Others affirm the decision.

"It's a curse connection made by a Goddess between me and another. I…had a very unfortunate feedback from her. Look, would I ever do that, honestly? Of my volition?"

The Warband was not convinced.  
"Excuses!"  
"What Goddess?"  
"What curse?"  
"Answer us, StudMuffin!"

Their anger, frustration, pleading and desperation clear on their voices. Marco braced himself, spilling out the contents of the curse. And Marco talked himself hoarse, swearing up and down every bit of it true, trying and reaching for something that the Warband could at least take his word for.

Still the Warband was not convinced.  
They looked at him as if he was babbling mad.  
The curse did its job well.

"Damnit, Stud why make up such a fanciful thing!?"  
"Just say you're in debt!" "Say someone is blackmailing you!" "Just lie, Stud!"  
"JUST LIE!"

Many of them cried, tears streaming down their eyes.  
Marco looked the whole lot of them before he shook his head, "I'm telling you all the truth…I know its not sufficient…and not believable but…I wont lie to you all, not when it could mean your life."

"Like it cost the Dread Squad!" someone spat.

Marco turned to see a heavily beaten Ardde limping towards him, a knife in his only hand, "If your 'Impossible Task'…if your 'curse' will just make you fodder us off…then you're better off dead."

Dreadlocke, Adder and Dreadster started forward, putting them between him and Marco,  
"Move!"

"You knew what would happen when we left—"  
"Look Ardde, I lost my friends too but—"  
"We swore—"  
"I. DON'T. CARE NOW! GODDAMNIT, I WATCHED MONSTERS EAT MY FRIENDS! AND AFTER WHAT HAPPENED?! HOW COULD YOU PROTECT HIM!?" he tried to break through but the three held and pushed him back, nearly setting him on the blood soaked ground.

The three glared at Ardde but didn't budge, he threw Marco a wither glare before chucking the knife to the ground.  
"You better kill me the next time I show up, StudMuffin because I intend to kill you…don't let me live because I will try again and again…I won't stop…I will never stop. Hide behind someone's skirt and I kill them to get to you."

Ardde angrily turned his back to him and limped away.  
Others looked between Marco and Ardde.  
Sadly, most of them shared the sentiment and walked away from the ruined camp.  
Others would leave later after gathering their things and bidding StudMuffin farewell.

"Just like that?"  
"After what Stud has done for us?"  
Those who were still there yelled and pleaded with who were leaving.

"He can't even say why we're going to die, Adder…how could we stay?"  
"…"

Marco pushed his way through and told the Warband,

"…I understand, I can't force any of you to believe my situation, nor will I force any of you to remain by my side under unclear pretense…I bid all of you good luck and good fortune out there."  
"…" "…thanks for all you've done for us."

The remaining watched them leave.  
The ones that stayed looked at StudMuffin.

Marco didn't say a word more as he slowly gathered the fallen Warband mercs and dug them their graves; Dreadlocke, Adder and Dreadster stayed close at hand as his guards. Brooke, Arabelle and Peyton showed up later and were in tears at the news, Marco filled them in and asked them if they wanted to leave, telling them about his curse, he was met with sorrowful doubting eyes.

"…Stud."  
"I need time to think…"  
"…I'll stay here, the Warband is my family…I have no one else…"

Marco sadly nodded his head and continued to work.  
Carrying fallen mercs, some stripped of their belongings and clothes during the assault. Most were covered in their grievous wounds and loss of limbs.

"…they don't deserve to be buried like this."

He took one of his red hoodie and dressed Vixen in it, taking her dagger and clasping it in her hands. The rest did the same, either taking from Marco's stash or their own and dressing their fallen before taking them to their plots.

King and Baron's fallen were piled and lit aflame.

There were 700…  
Now they were barely 200 left…

Marco began to bury them, saying a small prayed before he knew it Vixen was last. Some offered to bury her in his stead, but Marco merely said it should be him…he wished it was the only thing that gave him the excuse…his guilt ate away at him, knowing that someway somehow that the Blood Moon Ball curse activated and it cost Vixen her life. He couldn't prove it, but it…felt too coincidental that someone that loved him would die.

But truthfully, it was so he could say some things in private to her…  
Marco looked at her pale face, beautiful even in death; brave and loyal till the end...

"I'm…so sorry Vixen…I never meant to get you tangled in this, in all of _this_ …and your promise, its like a slap to your memory, forgive me for laughing like a nutcase before you passed...If I ever finish these Impossible Tasks, I don't think I'll ever be happy knowing I did this to you and the Warband…but after so many of you forsaking your lives for my miserable one...I have all the more reason to see this through to the end. Not just for myself, or my bond partner, but for you and the rest of the Warband.  
Good bye, Vixen...I did really loved you too. I'm sorry I couldn't tell you then, but I will say it now: I love you."

Marco climbed out of the grave and slowly buried Vixen, silently crying.  
He laid his hand on the soil for a moment before returning to the Warband.

.

"Tell me why you did it."

Adder, Dreadster and Dreadlocke stood before him,  
"It was my idea."  
"I was the one who gave the order."  
"..."

Marco wanted to smack the three of them with everything he got.  
The three of them were on the ground a second later.  
Marco blinked seeing his bruised fist.

"...fuck that hurt."  
"Damnit, why?"  
"Owie."

Adder rubbed his cheek before he stood up as did Dreadlocke, helping Dreadster too. The two looked at Marco and then the rest of the Warband and spilled their reasons,  
"StudMuffin, you gave us our lives back. I know—but had any of us had we known how could we go on living a happy life knowing you lived in torment! The day you came with Vixen the entire Dread Squad were all ready to die! Kill our captors even if it meant we all die in the process! The things they did to us, the horrors you couldn't imagine! You spared not only us but the rest of the Warband from a fate lined with torment and misery, what we did was to repay you for what you had done."

"You brought Baron and King to our doorstep. The Warband is broken." Marco snarled.

Dreadlocke pulled out a folded piece of parchment and held it before Marco, "They were planning to kill all of us after they gathered more mercs, had we given them the chance none of us, save for you and Vixen obviously, would have walked away unscathed. An entire fucking dimension baring down on us, there is no way we all get away."

"I could have made a portal." Marco shot back angrily.  
"AND THEY WOULD HAVE FOLLOWED US! NEVER GIVEN RESPITE! THEY PLANNED PUT BOUNTIES ON ALL OF US! THIS WAS THE ONLY OUTCOME WHERE WE WON BY PREEMPTIVE STRIKE! AND WE WOULDN'T RUN FOR LONG, WE WOULD HAVE STAND AND FIGHT!"

Dreadlocke breathed heavily, Marco wasn't convinced at all,

"Besides, what's our lives to yours."

Marco glared at them, "But it is _your_ life! I didn't ask you—any of you to go off and do what was on that list! I would have done them!"

"When?! When would you be done? When would be free? Your whole life would have passed you by!"

"That is _my_ decision to make!" Marco snapped.

"And it was the Dread Squad's to give their short lives for your own! Damnit, only Dreadlocke, Lady Dread and I wont succumb to disease! Everyone else were terminally ill! They injected maladies and diseases in the prisoners for sport! For _fun_! Whatever time we had left was better spent on saving and helping you."

Marco felt his fury rise, "Your precious life is your own. Don't trade it for my miserable one."

"Don't...don't belittle their sacrifices, Stud..." Dreadlocke said quietly facing him, "I am a hairbreadth away from doing an 'Ardde' too, but I want to understand why you were so hellbent on these silly notions. I owe you my life, as does everyone here, your explanation makes literally no sense, but still: I will stay until I _do_ understand."

The smaller Warband agreed at words.  
They were splinters away from breaking apart completely.  
Marco held back a sigh, thinking over what needed to be done.

"StudMuffin…what now?"  
Similar lines followed.

Marco looked around, seeing the remaining Warband, they stayed from either loyalty to having no place else.

"I'm taking you all to a safer dimension, there you can think about staying with the Warband or not more thoroughly. If you want to leave, I'll drop you to the dimension and location of your choosing."

Marco slashed open a portal and gestured to it, they nervously walked through and they looked around seeing the Wastelands. There were sparse vegetation, rusty and muddy color palette made it look like something akin to a post nuclear fallout scenario.

The group immediately began to setup base camp while Marco wandered off in an odd direction, Dreadlocke called out to him and he responded with he was going for a walk.

And he walked and walked into the Wasteland.  
He looked at his watch, seeing he was at it for an hour...  
before coming up to a peculiar sight.

"What are you doing…?"

"Isn't it obvious? Hah…thought I was sooo clever…I had a partner, a loyal girl in my arm and a booming business…fuck, I thought I had it all."

Marco watched as a man sit on the rock, his clothes tattered and his face bloody and bruised all over. He shook his head dispassionately,

"Then boom; it was all gone…my partner up and took the rug underneath my feet…my girl left me cause she heard too many bad rumors, especially from that damn snake…and a big shot throwing his weight around thought I was making too much on his turf…thought I looked too happy, happier than him…so he poisoned everything I loved…"

The man sighed looking up at the sky,

"Couldn't kill me…and I'm not fond of being kicked around…but those fuckers messed up the doorway and now I'm stuck in this shithole…"

He spat on the ground.

Marco looked on.

"…what did you do before all this."

"I ran a bar, but…that place was my pride and joy. I made that place with nothing but my raw will power, I wanted a bar to call my own and I did whatever I could; I cut wood, I smashed rocks, learned from cheap assholes, you name it, just so I can be a good bar owner. I made even my own brew, my specialties, my signature; heh the only good thing about this fucked situation is the fact I took the damn recipes with me, no one is getting it. Got it locked in the old noggin'."

The man glanced at Marco before turning back,

"You're a merc…"

"I am."

"…you got job to do…going to finish the job…" he inquired, Marco shook his head.

"I'm not here for you or your recipes…I lost just as much as you…thought this place would help clear my head."

The guy grunted.

"Sorry, this spot is occupied."

Marco looked at him, despite all he had gone through, his face showed resolution, he wasn't done with his life; it was just a setback and a minor one at that for him.

"Do you want revenge."

"Course I do, who wouldn't. Someone did this to me, I want to repay them. I'm at rock bottom but…fuck, I know this won't stop me. Even if it takes another 12 years, I'll get my bar…I will."

Marco could hear the determination, the absolute will to achieve.

"What do you need to get back on your feet."

"Fuck a couple sluts and a couple of hard drinks. Enough to pass out. THEN I'll get to it."

Marco smiled before walking off again, "…good luck—" "Rhunter." He grunted.

The merc chuckled before continuing on.

* * *

Marco walked until he came to numerous valleys and canyons marking the Wasteland landscape.  
He sighed at the sight and readied to turn back, he stuffed his hand into his pocket and felt something, curious he pulled out a heavily dented pocket watch, he frowned, somehow the blasted thing was never far from him.

He turned the pocket watch between his fingers, watching the dull sunset roll off its metallic surface. After receiving it he began to really walked down the path StudMuffin had walked, leading him to where he was now…he didn't know whether or not it was for good or naught, fate or some other cliché, but he couldn't help but voice out his thoughts after all that had happened…

"…I wish I could go back in time…slap myself silly for doing all this stupid shite…I could have done things a lot better…"

/…now that's a thought~/

Marco froze, he looked down at his pocket watch.

/Oho~! You can hear me? Delightful!/

Marco readied to throw the pocket watch before it cried out,

/Is that any way to treat your belongings?/

"I throw the Sword of Pendragon all over the place, I can throw you."

/Ah, that thing is still around? Amusing./

"Who are you? What are you?"

/…do you know the Concept of Time?/

"Yeah, I know I that."

/Hilarious. I AM CONCEPT OF TIME./

Marco wasn't at all impressed, he even looked around to make sure he was alone and not speaking to himself like a nutcase.

"I don't believe you."

The pocket watch snapped open and the broken hands begin to spin.

Backwards.

Marco felt his guts get queasy as the land before him began to change rapidly, in the blink of an eye he was standing in a very different land. The Wasteland was greener than he remembered.

He looked round before a portal burst open in front of him and he fell back as something collided with him. He pushed them off before seeing a scared humanoid run for the hills, his fist full of red hair, he ran as if the devil was on his ass.

"GET BACK HERE YOU COWARD!"

Marco froze as someone else leapt out of the portal again, tumbling into him, he was quickly shoved off and footsteps followed, Marco glanced up as the assailant ran past him.

Sensually pudgy, alabaster skin, yellow orange tipped horns and shoulder length red hair, Marco knew that description anywhere, Hekapoo hastily glanced back and carelessly yelled an apology,

"Get the fuck off the ground, you dolt!"

/Satisfied~?/

"…oh yeah."

And Marco found himself back in the rusty Wastelands.

* * *

Marco looked at the memories, remembering them just as clearly.  
After coming to the Wastelands, things turned out for the better for him and the Warband.  
He—

A cry tore him from the memory walls, he looked back to the wispy tunnel and raced towards the exit, someone was at the end of it.

* * *

Hestia dabbed her sibling's hot forehead…  
 _Another one…_  
She looked at the nearby cots, all of her siblings had suddenly gotten ill, unable to wake up at all.  
 _I'm alone now…damnit why?_

Hestia brushed a strand from her face as she walked over to the screens of the Time Temple, every screen made her more and more upset and frustrated. Her father…her mother…they upset the timeline and in doing so led it to ruin…

Hestia turned away, unable to stand the sight and walked out of the temple, Father Time and Uncle Omni meeting her at the threshold, she warily greeted them, she needed to go back to the mock house…Mother—Hekapoo was coming back within an hour…

"Huh? Hestia what are you doing in here?"  
"…just checking up on my siblings…" Hestia replied sadly.

Father Time and Omni looked at each other.  
Everything stopped for Hestia at their next utterance.

"Siblings? Hestia, you're an only child."  
Hestia looked at them horrified; the two seemingly glitch before her eyes.

 **XxXxXxXxX**

* * *

Whew.  
That's it.  
No more Flashback Chapters.  
And Marco's Character Development (edgelord arc) is also over too.  
This should tie up all loose ends about Marco's sordid past, except how he got better but that's a tale for another time.

Now we can go back to the relevant [present] plot of this fanfic.  
I can literally hear so many sighs of relief.

Next Chapter:  
 **Poor Hestia**  
 _OR_  
 **The Redemption Arc** [One Chapter long features the Prime/Prima Arc, Kelly's Parents Arc and Post Eclipsa Arc]

You decide.

 _tu ne me reconnaiss pas?  
_ I AM NRG

 **END OF TRANSMISSION**


	23. Poor Hestia

.  
 **Disclaimer:** sad feels.

 **Chapter 22**

Poor Hestia

 **XxXxXxXxX**

* * *

Marco Diaz.  
My father…

The greatest swordsman, mercenary and Dark Knight of his generation.  
He was many things.  
There wasn't one person on Earth, Mewni, heck the multi-dimension that didn't know that name.

But for all he was…he was first and foremost, the best father any child could ever want.  
So kind, so loving, understanding, thoughtful, he was never too tired nor too busy to play with me or my many siblings.  
To read us our favorite books and stories, to teach us, to cook a bowl of nachos for us, scolding us for taking out the dragonbikes or reassure us when our crush broke our hearts.

Marco Diaz…  
Dad…I miss you everyday…  
Mom was never the same when you left…  
Heck, I wasn't either.  
That's why I can't—

Hestia ran back into the temple.  
Hot tears streamed down her face as she passed her siblings, the board with scribbles of theories and ideas before she stood before the eye and the many screens.

"Please! What is going on? What happened?" Hestia pleaded, the eye slowly blinked and it fell to the ground, causing her to gasp. She looked around, the temple glitch before all the screens scrambled to life, Hestia looked around frighten and confused as she was bombarded with images, scenes and voices.

Marco.

He was everywhere.

Hestia screamed.

Marco gorged by Tom.  
Toffee watches Marco get crushed by the glass room.  
Ludo's Monsters beats him to death.

Hestia turned away but everywhere around her…  
Her father was dying.

Jackie bumps into him on her skateboard on the sidewalk, he slips into the road and gets hit by a passing truck.  
Janna takes his house keys, Marco ends up walking alone at night and killed by a mugger.  
Alfonzo and Ferguson ditches Marco in a forest, getting him mauled by a bear.  
Charlie Booth chokes him with his meat…balls.  
Jeremy tells his butler to run Marco over with his limo.  
Roy ODs Marco with Goblin Dogs.

A young Angie and Rafael crying in a hospital.

"NO! NO! NO!" Hestia cried.

She punched one screen but it only made the other screens flash through more scenes, more images and more voices screeching at her.

Star Butterfly stabs Marco during his daring Departure.  
Moon Butterfly orders Marco's execution.  
King River kills him with a battle axe, tearing his hoodie off and wears it as a codpiece.  
Marco stabbed during the Blood Moon Ball by Tom.  
A crying Kelly impales Marco with her claymore.  
Rhombulus crystalizes and shatters Marco.  
Omni smashes him to a paste.  
Glossaryck drowns him in his pot of stew.  
Eclipsa vaporizes him with dark magic.  
Meteora pulls him apart. Limb by limb.  
Monster Arm bursts out of his chest.  
Talon kills Marco in a bar brawl.  
Rich Pigeon and a thousand pigeons pecks Marco to death.  
Tad poisons Marco's soda.  
Pony Head stabs Marco in the back with her unicorn.  
Buff Frog feeds his children Marco's corpse.  
Sir Lavabo locks Marco with the Lint Monster.  
Rasticore chain saws him in half.  
Oskar hit-and-runs Marco.  
Naysaya never leaves and ends up atrophying Marco, leaving behind a husk.  
Star kills Marco.

Hekapoo picks up Marco's scissors and—

Hestia turned away and screamed at the top of her lungs.  
Shutting her eyes and clapping her hand over her ears  
Anything to drown out her mother—her father

"NO! This can't be happening! Why? WHY!?"

Hestia sprinted out of the temple, putting it behind her as she ran down the steps. She froze seeing Father Time and Uncle Omni on the ground, writhing in pain, they babbled incoherently even as Hestia shook them.

"—he…impossible…!"  
"How could…one…?"

"Father Time? Uncle? Wake up, please!" Hestia cried shaking the two, they began to glitch erratically and started screaming.

"—the monster—!"  
"—he—unleashed upon the land! NO—!"

Hestia hopped back as the two convulsed violently, they clutched their heads and began yelling,  
"URGH! NOOO!"  
"BURNING! EVERYWHERE!"

Hestia stared at them, powerless to do anything.  
She felt a rumble and her eyes drifted to the mock house, in an instant, it exploded bits and pieces of the house falling all over the place. Hestia hid behind Omni's massive bulk before she saw the portal towering to the sky.

As if hooked Hestia felt compelled to abandon the two writhing on the ground and stood before the portal.  
It swirled thickly before it parted and Hestia's heart sank.

Hekapoo.  
Hekapoos.  
Hundreds.  
Thousands.  
Millions of them running for the portal.

Hestia felt herself rooted to the spot.  
So many Hekapoos.  
So many mothers she would lie to.  
Too many.  
Far too many...

Hestia felt as if she broke her ankles twisting herself off her spot and fell to her knees, she scrambled and ran for it.  
Fresh tears streaming down her face.

"I CAN'T DO THIS ANYMORE!"

She pulled her father's scissors out and slashed a portal and leapt through.  
Landing in her birth dimension, her home still intact.  
She ran past it, past the garden, past family projects, past her childhood memories until she came to her parent's resting place.

Hestia threw herself on the sword between the graves and tried to pry it out, _Father, nnnnnooooo! Please, no more! NO MORE! I CAN'T! I CAN'T, FATHER!_

"Father! Father please lend me your sword! I'm not strong enough, I can't do it anymore! Please close that infernal portal!"

Hestia pulled the sword with all her might, her fingers slipping and she fell back, hurting herself; she pulled her wretched self up and laid herself on the sword sobbing.

"I GIVE UP! I DON'T CARE ANYMORE! I DON'T WANT THIS RESPONSIBILITY! I DON'T WANT TO! PLEASE LET THIS HELL END!"

Hestia screamed her lungs out, uncaring how she looked. She wasn't the Forger of Dimensional Scissors, she wasn't the brave heroine that made the villains tremble, she wasn't the confident sister her siblings looked up to.  
She was just Hestia...  
Tired. Scared. Alone in universe.

"Please! Please lend me your power! I'll give you anything! ANYTHING IN RETURN! Please! Please just close that portal!"

Hestia screamed her heart out.  
When her voice grew hoarse she settled for weeping...and laid there weeping on the sword.  
Brought up by the legendary Marco Diaz and the equally legendary Hekapoo, Hestia always desired to be great like them, no matter how many times they urged her to just live life happily.  
Live a normal life.

But no, Hestia wanted them to be proud of her, to praise her; no feat too onerous, no challenge unbeatable so long she was the one that did it. Maybe it was insecurities…maybe she was glory hound…maybe she wanted to be treated like a heroine of her own making much like her parents…

But this...this was too much for her.  
Protecting the timeline and the universe singlehandedly…  
What was she thinking?  
Self-doubt and self-loathing worming itself into her heart…deep bitter thoughts that she kept at bay for years since the portal began to rear its ugly head…

Hestia, she…  
She wasn't her father.  
Or her mother.  
She wasn't any of those great warriors or fantastic heroes her father told her and her siblings countless of times.  
The praises she received in the past now felt…forced, as if the people said it to appease her, but not _for_ her.

 _I inherited the Forge by default._  
 _Only because I was the oldest._  
 _I'm no one special...my parents were...what have I accomplished compared to them?  
I'm just…piggy backing on their success…like some leech...  
Some daughter I turned out to be…mom and dad deserved a better one._

Tears dripping down its hilt, guard and blade.  
Still sharp and metallic sheen that no other could match.

Hestia looked at it sadly,  
 _…dad said whatever it cuts…never heals…maybe I should just_

She looked at it longingly.  
Her arm slipping closer, her wrist upturn.  
She blinked seeing something else on the blade.  
Something winking.

Hestia slowly looked up and gasped.

The starry night sky—  
It blinked out.  
The stars.

Hestia felt a sudden dreadful cold seep wash over her.  
Father said stars went out during his adventures, which was always a bad omen stating something powerful was at work in the universe. He even met beings capable of such feat: the Fell Dragon and the Concepts.

Hestia gasped when suddenly several constellations suddenly vanish.  
She looked around and blacks gaps began to appear, distorting constellations and the starry canvas.

An uncontrollable shiver ran down her spine, Hestia stared at the dark sky, as more stars winked out the more terrible she felt.

 _Is this…a premonition?_  
 _…it has to be, hahaha…Father Time and Uncle…Mom…_

Hestia continued stared at the starry sky, winking out one by one…  
She couldn't tear herself from the sight.  
Like the portal she felt compelled to remain, frightening her even more.

 _What the hell is going on?!_

Hestia watched as fewer and fewer stars vanished to the Void, a dread bubbling inside of her when she saw the last vestige of stars blinking bravely as if fighting back. She numbly thought, unable to move but just witness in silent horror as everything was swallowed up by the Void.

 _…is this how the universe ends…?  
Is everyone frozen…and just watching as everything around us falls apart without even putting up a fight?_

Hestia felt something tug at her head.  
It felt like a pinch.  
Hestia winced.  
There it goes again. This time it felt like someone yanked on her bangs.

 _What the fuck…? OW!_

If the Diaz child could grit her teeth or scream bloody murder at the top of her lungs, she would.  
Instead she was mute as it felt like someone had taken a handful of hair and pulled until Hestia swore her head would be pried off.

Hestia cried out mentally as the pulling reached its breaking point.  
And something was pulled out.  
Violently.

 _"Hestia, c'mon, let me have a turn!"  
"This isn't a toy."  
"I'm telling Papa!"_

Hestia's heart stopped, not believing who she was hearing,  
 _Mythra?!  
What the he—!?_

 _"Shhh, it's okay, Mom wont get mad."  
"But, but—"  
"Soleil, no more tears."  
"…okay."  
"WHAT HAPPENED HERE?!"_

 _"Grrr, I'm a scary monster!" Hestia teased.  
"Oh yeah, well, I'm Papa!"_

 _"Oh my gosh, why did you follow me, D'Artagnan?"  
"I was only following Vincent and Orion…"  
"WHAT?!"_

 _"Hestia!" "Sister!" "Big sis!"  
"Alright, alright, gosh, you three are so needy."_

Hestia struggled to remember the three.  
Ignacia, Flammetta, Sunflower…there were…her siblings…?

 _"Hestia, I'll watch the Forge."_  
 _"..."_  
 _"I know its tradition but you're the only one who can send Mom back. Besides it'll just be for a month, right?"_  
 _"…right. Thanks Marcus."_

Hestia shook against her invisible restraints, horror seeping into her as her memories of her siblings taken. The universe wasn't the only thing being ripped apart…so was she.

And she desperately clung to them…

 _Marcus, D'Artagnan, Vincent, Orion, Dante, Hal David…  
Mythra, Ignacia, Flammeta, Soliel, Sunflower…_

"NO! DON'T TAKE THEM AWAY! THEY'RE MY FAMILY! PLEASE I DON'T WANT TO FORGET THEM! NOT A SINGLE ONE! I WANT THEM TO GIVE ME HEADACHES! I WANT THEM TO BUG ME! I WANT TO BE THERE FOR THEM! DON'T YOU DARE TAKE THEM AWAY!"

Hestia cried in torment, as memories of her siblings slipped through her mental grasps, she began to fiercely fabricate a mental image of all of them, any way to ground them to herself.

 _"Mythra has golden hair! Urrgh! And Soliel she loves the Time Hamsters! Oww! Sunflower is the youngest! Marcus is the first son! Nnnrgh! D'Artagnan is a great dragonbike rider! Orion and Dante are Dark Knights in training! Hal David is a nerd! Argh! Ignacia—is a brat! No…that's not right Flammeta is…no, no, that's Mythra…wait, who—Mythra? Who?"_

Hestia felt around for the memories, they were vague…murky…uncertain. She felt the mental tugging, claiming even the obscure ones.  
And when it ran out…it moved on.

To her half siblings.  
Hestia groaned…she was in—Mewni? Playing with a little girl with blonde hair…a skaterboy…a girl with freckles…a girl who played in the trees…

She felt…empty as these memories slipped away.  
Suddenly…she wasn't sure _why_ she felt anguished at the loss.  
Who were they anyways?

Then her relatives were next and she wailed at their fate.  
Her grandparents hosting her birthday party; then turned into strangers before her eyes.  
Her aunts and uncles congratulating her; she didn't who they were…  
Nieces and nephews…looked no different to her than random passersby.

Hestia felt sick.  
And hollow.

Her journey through life wasn't spared either.  
Her childhood was in tatters. Instead of playing with siblings and friends, she only remembered herself. Playing alone.  
Taking the mantle of Forger of the Dimensional Scissors muddled.  
Gaps in her adventures.  
Familiar places she's been to now strange.  
The friends and siblings that tagged along. The people she met.  
All faceless now…

Everything that gave her life joy and purpose.  
Taken and made into gibberish.  
Unrecognizable.  
They might as well be lost.

This is what made her _siblings_ go into coma. The failing universe was randomly euthanasia its inhabitants…so that they didn't have to face the End screaming in despair.  
Stripped of every memory, experience and thought and peacefully slumbering.

Waiting to perish.

But for Hestia, she would find no solace…  
And when she thought nothing more could be taken away from her…  
Memories of Marco and Hekapoo began to be pried off her.  
An unpleasant lurch ran through her, as if this would put her to sleep everlasting.

 _Please no more! Please don't take anymore!  
Why? WHY? Give them back! PLEASE!_

She desperately held on to both of them.  
Her mother.  
Her father.

Her frozen form and glassy eyes couldn't stop the welling of tears that slid down her young face as she poured every ounce of her will to keep her memories of her parents dear.

Her expectant mother…  
Her motherly father…

Mom teaching me my unique gifts, drilling me on molten craft.  
Papa reading me my favorite story books at night.  
Her mother nodding appreciatively as Hestia clumsily worked.  
Her father letting her watch him make his famous nachos.  
Hekapoo tucking me in bed…kissing me on the forehead.  
Marco telling me I can't go 5 days without bathing.  
 _…my…parents…_

Hestia felt her grip on the two wiggle and tire, the chilling fear she felt of them slipping through her fingers.  
The tugging…the pulling…the relentless insistent prying on her beloved memories!

 _No. No. NO. NO! NO!_

An mental image of Hekapoo holding Hestia hand, her mother smiled at her, brushing her bang away and smiled warmly at her daughter, unaware of what was going to happen to her. Hestia slowly shook her head and sobbing, as her mother began to drift back, Hestia clawed her fingers, hooking her mother's fingertips.

 _Let's call her…Hestia…our bundle of joy, our child…thank you, Marco…I never thought I would be a mother, and—never—oh Marco, thank you! Thank you, thank you…  
I love you so much, Hestia, I promise, I'll be here for you, always.  
Always for you. _

Hestia screamed in misery as Hekapoo was flung into the Void.  
Hestia cried, holding nothing back as she wept.  
Crying as the memories fled her.  
Crying over her.  
Over someone.  
Over a stranger.

Hestia looked at her other hand, Marco looked at her. Worried.  
Did he know?  
He reached out and touched her face, wiping her tears.  
Hestia felt fresh ones well up, he always knew when she was upset or scared. He would comfort her, tell her to be unafraid and be strong.

Hestia felt a sly tug.  
Hestia screamed as Marco slipped past her fingertips.  
She swore the Void roared victoriously at sinisterly lulling her into a false sense of security.  
And snatching her father away.

"NOOO! FATHER! DAD! PAPA!"

Hestia broke down, head slumping and bitterly crying.  
Defeated.  
Everything.  
Taken from her.

.

"Hey, are you alright?"

Hestia blinked blurry and looked up, someone was looking at her.  
The eerie sound of a portal lulled in the background.

"Whoa, easy there, c'mon let me help you."

Hestia felt herself be taken off the sword and settled on the ground, someone was looking at her.  
The blurry figure slowly clearing, a young face looked at her, she reached out and a hand held her own.

Hestia blinked, slowly the details filled in more.  
He was young.  
His brown eyes looked at her, deeply worried, deeply concerned. Brown hair nearly obscuring it.  
A cute mole. And a wicked scar marred his otherwise handsome face.

Hestia looked at him.  
Words trembling on her lips.

"Who are you?"  
"I'm Marco." he tenderly, holding her the best he could.  
"Hah...my father's name is Marco, too. Marco...Diaz..." before she closed her eyes, the last image was a shock Marco.

 **XxXxXxXxX**

* * *

To be unmade.  
That's a terrifying thought. For some of us, I think.  
For Hestia she loses nearly everything.

In the nick of time, Marco's memories are preserved.  
She still remembers her mission and how to send people back to their timeline and the wipe, however she doesn't consciously know who taught it to her, just the components how to. There are now gaps in her knowledge and what she knows. More on that in the following chapter.

Father Time and Omni's beings are tied to the timeline or components of it so they are afflicted more adversely.  
The Elementals and Concepts on Prima/Prime are still alive however in this Timeline/Future, they are desperately trying to stave off the debilitating effects.

Also, I've been getting some feedback asking about how Hestia really looks like or fanart. Plainly, there is none. It is easier and more satisfying if you have your own interpretation of Hestia much like the Traitor's Sword and StudMuffin, there are key traits but for the most part you mentally construct Hestia to your liking, filling in the gaps so everyone's mental image is unique, there very own.

Welp, this is the chapter so many avid readers were looking forward to, the following chapter more so.  
Tell me how I do: masterfully or poorly [like with recent chapters].

 _tu ne me reconnaiss pas?  
_ I AM NRG

 **END OF TRANSMISSION**


	24. Oh, Hestia

**.  
Disclaimer: **you're gonna have a bad time.

 **Chapter 23**

Father and Daughter

 **XxXxXxXxX**

* * *

"F-Father?!"  
 **Well, at least we know that your skeet works! Haha! Your small peepee clapped demon-scissor-making cheeks~!  
** "But I—this must be the future or—or a future timeline!"  
 **...eh, makes sense to me.**

Marco thankfully didn't drop his daughter at her utterance, no matter how absurd it was.

Marco gently laid the girl on the ground, taking off his shirt as a pad for her head to lie on. He looked at the portal for a moment before it abruptly closed, he sighed before taking stock of the place: dreary.

The night sky was void of stars and constellations, the land had seen better days and he could already see someone had settled. A house in the distance with some rickety projects built.

He glanced at the two graves, weathering had yet to set in but before he could get a better look, he saw something that wasn't possible…

The Traitor's Sword stabbed between the two, the girl was slumped over it.

Marco looked at if for a moment, frowning as it wasn't exactly like his own, the guard was different and it looked longer, as if for an adult to wield not a teenager. He gripped the hilt and it felt familiar, he pulled and felt minute resistance and the blade began to give, Marco prepared to pull it out.

Then suddenly he buckled. It was if someone suddenly grabbed hold of it.

Marco narrowed his eyes, but decided to leave it be. He needed answers first. But with the girl unconscious he had precious little to go off on.

He turned back to the gravestones, he balked at the names before him. One was his. The other Hekapoo.

 _So this girl wasn't lying…I am her father…or rather father to be...so I ended up with H-Poo, huh.  
 **Wow, Marco, this is some next level denial. Admit it, if Star didn't show up that time you would have stayed with Hekathicc and had like a dozen kids. Heck, I would.**_

Marco ignored the comment and took some interest in where he found his daughter to be.

He looked at Hekapoo's gravestone, he felt a sad sigh leave him as he traced her name, you were never going to grow old, you must have not liked living without me…we left our daughter alone…what kind of parents does that…No, that's presumptuous, I don't even know the circumstances, best I keep those thoughts to myself for now.

So Marco sat down with the girl and waited, hoping she would wake but as the minutes rolled by he looked away from the dreary landscape and studying the girl. Her bushy hair was a dark shade of red, her horns much like Hekapoo's, her attire and complexion was just like his except for the knee high boots, those were like her mother's. His dimensional scissors were holster to her waist, it looked a lot older than his own last time he saw it.

Almost completely consumed in his musing did he felt the familiar mental nudge from his other tenants. Marco attuned himself to the Elementals, sensing their unease, _what's the matter?_

 _Other than chapters of flashbacks and being teleported through a time tunnel? Gee, Marco, I don't know?!_

 _Yeesh, calm down, Undine. Marco, we've been studying the situation like you but now we can't keep our silence any longer. Unlike you; we are part of nature and just now we realized we are alone in the universe. The distant planets and dimensions have been snuffed out. I doubt Earth was spared._

Marco nearly shot out of his skin at the news but the Elementals quickly spoke up,  
 _Marco! If you're panicking, we are far far worse shape…we could be the last Elementals save for Prima…if its still standing that is. "You're awfully calm then."  
Hah…we are not._

Marco felt the despair roll off them, he felt like curling into a ball and crying. He steady himself after taking some deep breaths, looking at the girl.

 _"She must know something about the situation. Maybe we could reverse this…tragedy."_

I _hope so…  
…I hope we aren't too late.  
Wake her up, we don't have time to waste!  
…I don't feel so good._

Marco hesitated, although young, she looked like she'd been through some serious shit for a while, even asleep she looked pained. He felt an unusual urge and he went from brushing her bangs to the side to caressing her cheek he would with a babe.

"Mhmmm, Papa…"

Marco darted his hand back, the girl's smile broke through her pained sleep, she looked happy…comforted by his warm touch.

Marco's heart and mind began to race. He'd only met this girl—his supposed daughter and already he felt the innate instinct to protect her, like a hen to her chick.

Then a sinister thought wormed into his head.

…this could be a trick. A trap.

 _Doubtful, Marco. Look around: there's no one here. And with the lands being this quiet, well, I doubt anyone is awake…this fits the End of All._

 _"…?"_

 _Historia said when the universe is on its deathbed it would make all its inhabitants succumb to a peaceful slumber…before the universe falls apart._

 _"…will I fall asleep too?"_

 _I don't know. But more time wasted and we could succumb to it as well. Now, wake up your child!_

 _"…you believe she's my daughter?"_

 _By the Elements—YES! Gosh, Marco, can you NOT see the resemblance? Besides, how you and Warco took to that woman, I'm surprised you didn't have one sooner._

 _"…are you jealous Ignis?"_

 _FUCK! OFF!_

Marco couldn't help but chuckle, the sound of genuine positivity was enough to rouse the sleeping Diaz child, Hestia yawned and sat up, looking around, sleepily. Marco saw this and waited, hoping his appearance wouldn't frighten her.

He was dead after all.

The girl paused seeing him, he awkwardly smile before the girl went sheet white. She shakily got to her feet as did he, hoping she wasn't gonna go off screaming or—or freak out.

"DADDY!" she cried, tears streaming.

Marco grunted as the girl leapt and straddled him, he steady himself the best he could as buried her face into the crook of his neck, her arms around his neck and her legs wrapped around his waist.

"I HAD THE MOST AWFUL DREAM IN MY LIFE, I—?…!"

Just as quickly she leapt off him, looking embarrassed, puzzled and suspicious at the same time.

"Why are you shirtless…no, my father…Papa…he isn't…he can't…" her eyes welled up and she pulled—my scissors out and pointed it at me, "WHO ARE YOU!?"

Marco quickly put on his shirt and held up his hands, the Traitor's Sword out of view, "I'm Marco Diaz—I know, you don't believe me: I am dead after all."

"…yes, you are, Papa…so why? Are you a shape-shifter?! An imposter?!" she hissed, Marco could see that she was trying her hardest to find a fault with him, even though she desperately want to believe he was alive again.

 _…the Traitor's Sword hasn't chosen a new master…then I am still…_

Marco held out his hand and willed the Traitor's Sword to him, the girl hopped back as the mystical sword appeared and shined in all its radiance. The girl stared at it for a long moment, her eyes darting back to the one beside the graves before she snarled,

"LIES!" the girl cried, her shoulders shaking, Marco frowned and pressed the sword into her hands, she looked at it before looking back at the other one, they looked nearly identical but she could tell it was one and the same since it

"OUCH!" she cried as the sword shocked her, unaccepting of her foreign touch, she puffed up her cheeks as Marco looked apologetic, "Sorry, but it's very protective."

"That was mean, dad."

Marco smiled as the girl nursed her hand, he took it and kissed it much like how his mother did to him when he was a wee lad.

"Feeling better?"  
"…yes—ugh! I'm not a kid!"

Marco couldn't help but laugh as the girl snatched her hand away and looked mortified, "You know, you keep calling be 'father', 'papa' and 'daddy', but I don't even know your name."

"…you don't even know your daughter's name." she said quietly, she looked more upset than ever. Marco wanted to console her but the emotions weren't there, in truth he was trying to fabricate the emotions to connect to his future daughter but it was difficult. He didn't want to lie about his emotions especially to someone that would be his family one day.

"I'm Hestia Diaz…I'm your daughter."

Marco smiled making his daughter blush and turning away, "Nice to meet you Hestia, my future daughter."

"Future?"

Marco blinked.  
Hestia blinked.

"Don't…don't you think I look a bit too young to be fathering kids?" Marco said sheepishly, Hestia looked at her father, really looking at her father and gasped hopping back as if seeing Marco clearly for the first time. She looked at him curiously, rubbing her eyes and looking again.

"Oh my gosh: you're so young…you're like a kid."  
"Okay, I'm not that—" Hestia lifted his gray shirt and poked his growing abs.  
"Even your abs are childish…"  
 **"Hestia."**  
"Eep!"

Marco looked annoyed for a moment; Hestia grabbed some of her bushy red hair and tried to obscure herself with it. He deflated and looked at her more kindly, "I came from the past to the future, I think. I heard someone crying out for help and I ended up here, you must have been the one who called out to me."

"…"

"Your cries were filled with sorrow, misery…despair. As if you had given up." Marco said softly.

Hestia looked away, shamefaced, "…I did, I wanted to stop this portal it…I don't know, just made things worse for all timelines, I was dealing with it but it's gotten out of hand. I ran…I ran away from it, my responsibility…some daughter I turned out to be…I'm sorry Dad."

Hestia felt tears slide down her face but Marco gently wiped them, "Hestia, there were times when I ran away too, it happens—" "I had the entire universe at stake! And I ran! No Papa, it's not okay! Don't console me! I should have been able to do this on my own, I'm your daughter!"

Marco could see through the pain-stricken face of Hestia, so much expectation she had for herself and placed upon her, because she was his daughter she should have done this singlehandedly. The pressure would be unimaginable… He cupped her face and she sniffled and sobbed, Marco could see how hurt and cornered she was, she pushed his hands away and hugged him.

Marco patted her back, feeling her calm down. He spoke softly,

"Hestia it doesn't matter if you're my daughter or not, no one is perfect, I'm certainly not. I've failed before and it cost so many precious lives, my friends especially."  
"…it was my responsibility, Papa…no one else could do it…I was the only one able to…"  
"What did you have to do?"  
"…I remember sending someone away from the portal but it's all fuzzy…but I know I did it for a very long, long time."  
"…how long?"  
"...I don't even know anymore, haha…I feel as if I'm…broken." her voice anguished.

Marco was thankful Hestia couldn't see his face, the look of aghast and shame all over it, …Hestia what have you gone through?

Marco pulled Hestia back and looked at her, "You may not know what happened but I know a place that would: the Time Temple. C'mon, I'll cut a portal there then the both of us will be up to speed."

Hestia hesitated for a moment, feeling all sorts of foreboding and dread, but unsure why she would be,

"Okay, father." "Then show me the portal afterwards."

Hestia watched as Marco easily rend open a portal and the two leapt through landing in a eerily familiar hall.

* * *

"Father Time! Omni! Hellooo?" Marco called out before he started walking off, passing partitions.

The Diaz child looked around the hall, seeing so many screens and some busted up too, there was a living space against the wall. She walked closer only to stop when her father called out to her,

"Hestia…who are they?"

Hestia spun at her father's uncertain voice and walked over to see Marco looking over 11 cots with 11 occupants, all sound asleep. Hestia felt a throb at her heart at each of them, Marco knelt to the closest and checked their pulse and got a better look at them.

Red heads, brunettes, a blonde and a strawberry blonde made up the 11.

Marco felt a smile touch his lips as he spoke,

"Hestia…I think they are your siblings. I mean, the resemblance is uncann—"

"Don't be daft, Papa: I'm an only child."

Marco froze at the words.

 **[Silence]**

He mentally shook himself and looked at her slowly; astonishment on his face. Hestia's response was so curt, almost callous.

"Hestia…don't you think you look—" "I don't."

Marco gawked at her.

He gestured at the closest one then to her, "I'm human. Horns are not a normal human feature. If you are my daughter, where in the world did you get your horns?" "From you."

Marco stared at her.

"How about your red hair?" "From you."

"Hestia…do you not know who they are?" "…I don't. Not one."

Marco stood up and leveled with Hestia,  
"Who is your mother?"  
"I don't have one."  
"Then where did you come from?"  
"You."

Marco slapped himself in the face. He inhaled noisily and peeked through his fingers, annoyed,  
"Hestia, why are you answering like this?"  
"Why are you asking me stupid questions then, Dad?! I'm an only child! I don't have any siblings!"

Marco pointed to the sleeping occupants before bringing up his sword and Hestia looked at it like a mirror, "Tell me you don't see a resemblance."

Hestia rolled her eyes, "I don't—" "Look. Again."

Hestia looked at her reflection: she saw a girl with dark red hair, vibrant orange eyes however were slightly bloodshot and distasteful eye bags, yellow horns and a creamer complexion to her father.

"…yes, Dad, I know I'm beautiful." Hestia said almost snobbishly.  
Marco muttered under his breath, "Just like your Mother…" He sighed and asked more patiently,

"…sooo wouldn't you say they are too?"

Hestia looked at them and felt that familiar heartache, despite being peacefully asleep; she could sense it was anything but.

"They are in a deep sleep…a coma even. I doubt I could wake them." Marco said worried, Hestia studied the closest one to her, he looked eerily similar to her father, almost as if he was his so—

"URGH!?" Hestia clutched her forehead as if the notion was impossible and her mind agreed and disagreed at the same time. Marco looked at her surprised. "Hestia? What's the matter?"

Hestia panted, Marco steadying her, he looked at her worried,  
"Hestia, could you have lost your memories?"  
"…No, otherwise why do I remember you?"  
"Maybe you have selective amnesia, but I don't know if that's possible…"  
"…"

Marco looked at Hestia before glancing back at the sleeping occupants.

"But don't you think the horns, the mole, the—" Marco started innocently but Hestia shoved him back.  
"I DON'T KNOW! I don't know them! I don't have siblings! I'm your only child!" her eyes swam with tears.

Marco looked at her, disturbed, as she held her head before she looked at him, furiously,

"Why do you keep insisting that? Why are you bullying me, Papa?"

"No, Hestia! Hestia, it's alright, c'mon." Marco steered her away from the sleeping kids, he threw a backwards glance at them, feeling a similar instinct he had with Hestia. Marco looked over Hestia, she looked more distraught than ever after her outburst, embarrassed even by it, she refused to make eye contact with her.

"I'm…I'm sorry I yelled…raised my voice…" she mumbled. Marco nodded awkwardly, it was strange to have Hestia, who looked the same age as him, act as if she was younger.

"…it's fine, let's just find that eyeball thing, that's the most important plot devise in this entire chapter." "You mean that thing?"

Marco looked at the floor and hopped off the fallen Temple Eye, he glanced to the ceiling before back to the fallen device and held it up, praying it had some life in it.

Marco looked at the Temple Eye sadly, it was all blood-shot and worn out; it had better days. Marco carefully held it up and had Hestia stand close to him so it gazed upon them almost lifelessly.

"…"

"...?" "…is it, working?" Hestia asked as it stared at them unblinking.

A low hum echoed through the ancient halls before Marco and Hestia gazed upon the multitudes of screens buzzing to life, the Temple Eye feebly blinking before Marco set it down where it finally shut itself.

Marco looked around as did Hestia as familiar and unfamiliar scenes played before them…

For Hestia, she gazed upon myriads of videos of her as a child, she was a chubby little tyke that played and yearned the attention of her father. She watched herself grow up, from Marco awkwardly changing her diapers and bathing her; to her insisting on dress up tea parties with her father, to sneaking out of the house and getting caught, being scolded with father by a councilor, tagging along in adventures with him.

She felt a smile grace her lips; she remembered these clear as day.

But…

There was another though. She was shorter than her father, but the way she looked at her with the same love her father did.

She looked strangely similar to her. The way she lifted her up, kissed her baby cheeks and the way baby Hestia giggled and snuggled up confused her. She and her went on shopping sprees, eating gallons of ice cream, playing pranks on strange people, working in some forge, the way she bundle her in a red hoodie…  
Strange feelings blossomed in her.

"That's Hekapoo…your mother." Marco said softly, moving to where she was.

"Don't you feel anything, Hestia? Remember anything?"  
"…I don't, but now…I want to…"

Marco looked at Hestia sadly, the way she gazed upon the screen, a bitter forlorn face.

Then Hestia hissed.  
Marco looked over to the screen.

Adult Marco French-kissed Hekapoo, a little Hestia smooshed between their arms, her tiny face angry before she wailed.  
Marco had the decency to blush, while Hestia glared at the screen.

It changed to Hekapoo and Marco dancing. The way Hekapoo clung on him…smiling too widely as Marco suddenly went rigid.  
Sitting on a couch, eating pizza and watching a movie together.  
An embarrassed Marco introducing Hekapoo to his parents.  
Marco cuddling up to Hekapoo in bed.  
Him fretting over a pregnant Hekapoo, who rolled her eyes, smiling all the same.

Hestia glared at her father. "What?" "...nothin'." she seethed.

Marco couldn't help but laugh, making Hestia even angrier.

"Oh, c'mon that's Hekapoo: she's your mother, Hestia. Don't you see yourself in her?"

"Well, I don't—" Hestia stammered, "At least I can fit my clothes!" she pointed at another screen. "What are you goin—OH MY GOD!"  
 ** _DAYUM!  
_** _…you know what, I might be into girls, Undine.  
…we know. [3x]_

Marco wheeled Hestia away from the screen, the image forever burned in his mind. Hestia however didn't care much for her mother's sexy attire and was very vocal about it.

"Grrr, that Hekapoo is just a thot—!" Hestia started but she didn't get far as Marco pinched her cheek, causing her to yelp at the sudden action.

"OW! Papa, what was that for?!" Hestia rubbed her cheek, "This is child abuse!"  
"It's called DISCIPLINE. Don't talk badly about your mother like that."

Hestia puffed up her cheeks, Marco looked at her for a moment; gears turning in his head,  
"Hestia are you jealous of your mother?"

Her face turned beet red and she gave a shrill reply, "W-wha—!? Of course not!" Marco nodded to a screen and Hestia briefly looked: Hekapoo grinning as Marco made breakfast in bed for her, kissing her on her cheek.

"Well, good morning, good lookin'~ what's the occasion?" "Mhmmm, just another perfect day with you~"

Hestia crossed her arms and pouted, Marco couldn't help but chuckle; she glared at him. He smiled, amused at her jealousy, "It's not funny, Dad…" "No, I suppose not, but I think H-Poo would find it more amusing than I do. C'mon let's see what we can find out what you've been up to." "…yes, Father."

And with that the two moved apart to work quicker, Marco sincerely hoped that Hestia didn't come across anything untoward behavior future Marco and Hekapoo might have done. Then realizing that Hestia had 11 siblings...there was a massive chance that Hestia would catch herself or her siblings being conceived.

Marco spun to Hestia, warning her to not watch any smut, lemon or NSFW written by NRG but he was too late hearing some particularly bad ones.

 _"That's it Marco just sit on the couch and pretend nothing is wrong~"_ _"…why would I think that?" "Just look at the camera, Marco, I need to make 4 clones real quick." "…wait a sec—"_

 _"Hekapoo don't spit it in her mouth—Eclipsa don't spit it back! …don't—ugh."_

 _"Go ahead, Marco call for help, they can't undo what I do to you~" "Don't threaten me with a good time, H-Poo."_

"EW! DAD! YOU AND—AND HER! YOU DO IT TOO MUCH!"

"AND IT'S NOT EVEN HER SOMETIMES! GROSS!"  
"...er, yeah, don't watch those."

Hestia gave him a 'I'm-so-done' look, "Trust me, Dad, I won't..."  
"Um, good! Tell me when you find something recent." Marco said quickly and walked off, Hestia waved her hand carelessly as the two observed the many screens.

Marco looked at the screens, seeing things that happened in the far future,  
 _"Do you think I'll make a good Dad?"  
With the way Hestia adores you, yes, you will.  
_ _ **Start making Dad jokes quick; it'll give you +5 to all stats and embarrass your teenage daughter...so hot...so legal…I'm still around in this timeline right—dafuq, yo red head you turned up the heater?  
**_ _Nope, but your ass is grass now dipshit~!  
_ _"IF YOU EVER TAKE THAT TONE AGAIN TALKING ABOUT MY DAUGHTER...MUSICA WILL NOT PROTECT YOU FROM ME."  
_ _ **...noted. I'll shut up now.**_

Marco grunted as he gave Hestia another glance, she stared at a screen, looking extremely upset before she looked sad. Marco in turn did the same and inspected the many screens:

He was in Mewni talking to an older Star.  
He was in Echo Creek going to college. Meeting up with Jackie, Janna and his other friends.  
Going to the dojo, talking to Sensei.  
Running the Sinful Sips with a well-dressed Rhunter.  
Out adventuring with Kelly.  
Visiting his parents: older and grayer but just as happy.  
An exhausted Hekapoo and Marco finally getting Hestia to sleep.

It looked peaceful. Happy.

Marco liked what he saw. All the bullshit he was going through would eventually blow over and he could have his life back.

He moved further and further into the temple, casting glances at Hestia who would occasionally cry out in disgust and walk to another screen, variations of 'Ew, Dad!' 'Man, I was so cute back then!' 'Hmph, her again...' rang out in the hall.  
And sometimes she would just look upon the screen with sadness.

Marco refrained from shaking his head and moved on, watching some for a fair bit. He knew how he looked as an adult, but it still amazed him that the once Safe Kid would end up as a literal beef cake. A video of him going through college was a hoot to watch, even his professors flirted with him, in and out of class. Followed by him restraining his wife, Hekapoo from clawing their faces.

"What a spitfire~" Marco grinned before he heard something that stopped him in his tracks.

"Hekapoo, I—" She slapped him. Hard.

Marco fell back, feeling his cheek swell, Hekapoo glared down on him and raise her left hand, the wedding ring catching the light.

"What does this mean to you, huh? HUH?! I'm your wife! You have a child! And you go off and get your best friend pregnant!"

Marco didn't hide his shame and crawled back to Hekapoo, apologizing to her, she pulled the hem of her dress from his hands and he slumped on the carpet, still pitifully apologizing. Now, tears were in Hekapoo's eyes and she savagely wiped them, feeling so hurt and betrayed by her husband.

"Papa? Mama?" came a small voice.

Marco raised his head enough to see a waddling 3-year-old toddler jam-jams Hestia having been roused by all the yelling by her parents.

"Hestia…" Marco whispered, Hekapoo frowned and tried to pick her daughter but she waddle out of her reach and hugged Marco's prone form, "No! Papa crying…Papa sorry…"

"Hestia." "Hestia, darling go to Mama." "NO!"

The toddler hugged her father, her innocent orange eyes met her mother's own, shining with tears. Hekapoo knelt down, Hestia looked scared and it broke her heart that her child would be afraid of her, shying away from her touch.

"…Hestia, it's okay; Mama and Papa won't fight no more."  
"…" Hestia clung to her father, but some coaxing from Marco and a kiss on her chubby cheek did she meekly shuffled to her mother.

"…we'll talk in the morning, Marco." Hekapoo sighed, Hestia yawning in her arms.  
"I'll sleep on the couch." "No, you are not. Our bed. Where you're supposed to be."

 ***Static***

Marco felt Hestia stand behind him, she tentatively reached out and held his hand, he discreetly wiped his face with the other.

"How long were you stand there?" "...after I waddled in."

Marco look back to the screen as it static into Marco, Star, Hekapoo and baby Hestia in a living room. Star was in her queenly attire, her hair done up in a bun like her mother. She fidgeted under Hekapoo's predatory gaze,

"So, that's the solution..."  
"...you know what really pisses me off, Queeny: you already had a plan for your 'unexpected' pregnancy."  
"H-Poo...Hekapoo," Marco corrected himself after a death glare, "This way Star isn't—!"

Hekapoo flicked him on the nose, "Everyone else is tricked but ME. I want to drive that home, Muscles. You're making me an accomplice to your two timing habit. And I DO NOT LIKE IT. I should be your concern first and foremost, I am your wife after all. You made those vows. So did I."

Star stood up and got on her knee, "Hekapoo: I'm sorry. I should have known better. I would never have—" "SAVE IT, QUEENY." Hekapoo snarled, "Do your little ploy: disguise Marco as some up and coming Mewman that you make your consort but dies in some battle and you're left with his kid. But know this Star, you stay away from my husband from now on. If I even have reason to suspect you're trying to lure him back—"

 ***Static***

"Um, H-Poo?" Marco fumbled with his words, Hekapoo innocently looked at him, "What? This is just one of my dresses. Nothing unusual about it."

Marco rolled his tongue back up his mouth seeing the tightest black dress his wife owned, he swore it was painted on, the contrast between black fabric and her pale alabaster skin...he usually spent the entire day scaring off sniffing males followed by rough sex.

"Sooo...what's the occasion?" "I want another."

 ***Static***

"Alright. Which of you bitches are pregnant."

Hekapoo snarled, whilst Hestia, Marcus and Venus Diaz-Butterfly on a rug in the living room, playing. Hestia could hear the venom in the tone and quickly got her siblings to toddle out of the room and into her own.

Marco visibly shrunk as Higgs, Kelly, Janna, Jackie, Star, Moon and Eclipsa were in the living room too sitting on the sofa, chair or standing. Hekapoo glared at their silence before tentative hands rose up into the air.

Hekapoo sighed in relief when Janna, Moon and Eclipsa's hands remained.  
Mrs. Diaz paused and looked at Star, "Again?!"

Star sheepishly grinned. Jackie didn't make eye contact. Higgs was red faced but said nothing. Kelly blushed.

Hekapoo glared at her husband, "MARCO." "They found our porn and used it against me."

Hekapoo paled.

Star, Jackie, Higgs and Kelly spoke up.  
"Sugarrito."  
"Sk8terboi."  
"S&M—Squire & Master! Shut up!"  
"We just went on a date."  
"...huh."

Moon, Eclipsa and Janna coughed.  
"Time Travel Play"  
"QILF Next Door."  
"...I didn't get my chance. Yet."  
The screen static as Hekapoo went nuclear.

Marco sweated as Hestia gave him a death glare that would make her mother proud, in the most intimidating voice she could muster Hestia hissed at her father,  
"Ew, Dad, you're such a man-slut."  
"S-shut up! I can't be held responsible! Future Marco is an idiot!"

Hestia burst out laughing unable to hold the facade any longer, Marco ignored her as the screens changed showing Marco and his family growing over the years. And the mischief his children managed: from pranks during meetings and parties, to food fights at dinner and the girls taking out the dragon bikes with him yelling at them.

"Ooh! I want one of those!"  
"You have a license."  
"Do you, Dad?"  
"…you're grounded."

He ignored Hestia's snickers and continued to watch as a lifetime of happy adventures came and went as time finally caught up to him; he was older now, using a walking cane as he moved around his estate. Hekapoo walking into view, "…off to see them again?" "…yes, I don't know if I'll be able to tomorrow…might be…too tired." he panted.

"…your grandkids called they wanted to visit your newborn great grandkids." "Mhmmm, that's nice of them to think of Grandpa Marco." "…Muscles." "Hah, haven't had those in years, H-Poo."

Marco chuckled before he coughed violently, Hekapoo caught his arm, she patted his back. He smiled, gently moving his wife's bangs to see her face, "Just as beautiful the day I met you…"

Even now, Hekapoo had begun to show signs of age, but she it didn't bother her nor Marco.

"…please don't leave, Marco." "…I won't, dear."

Hekapoo hugged him, tears dripping down, "You're such a bad liar."

Marco looked at the video before pulling Hestia away, she didn't need to see him gone again.  
Once, was painful enough.

"C'mon Hestia…let's find a kiosk or something…"  
"…please don't leave me again, Papa."  
"…let's go, Hestia."  
"…okay."

Marco held her hand as they passed more screens, Marco could see more children, but he rushed passed them, he didn't have the heart to see how special they were only to have harsh reality mock him with them in a coma and Hestia all alone.

They came to the near back of the temple and like what Marco had said earlier a kiosk was waiting for them. Marco looked at the strange runes on it before Hestia began to press some keys, "It's strange, but I feel as if—urk!"

Hestia winced as she finished, Marco looked at her concerned as the screen began to flash:

Hestia observing the screens with Omni and Father Time.  
Hestia speaking to Hekapoo and pointing at a portal, begging her mother.  
She and her siblings began to build a house around a portal.  
Hestia speaking to her mother. She was resolute.  
Hekapoo throws Hestia across the parlor room, screaming at her.  
Her siblings trying to convince Hekapoo to leave, but could not.  
Hestia…lying to Hekapoo to get her to leave.

Marco ran a hand through his hair before he noticed a timestamp: Day 67 just before it changed again Day 91.

"Mom…you have to go." "…I can fix this. We can fix this." "…no we can't."  
Then the screen changed.

Hestia stood before the portal, looking at it before Hekapoo walked out, confused.  
"Welcome back." She said, a hollow smile on her face before the same events unfolded.

Marco stared at the screen, the days changed and Hestia did the exact same thing…over and over again.  
"You've been…sending Hekapoo away? Isn't she…how can she be alive?" "…"  
"Hestia…what is going on?" "…I don't know."

Marco looked at the screen as a tired Hestia stared back at them, she spoke in a haggard tone, "I don't know how much more I can take…Mom keeps coming from that blasted portal that can't be closed, it's impossible…the timeline is damaged…I wish she stopped trying to get into Dad's dimension, the dimension is Warded, Mom! Give it a break! You're wrecking the delicate balance of Space-Time! It's like a damn shockwave through the multiverse or timelines. Fractures keeps being made and she's slipping through those cracks…into my timeline…if I don't send her back, her native dimension will perish, countless ones will die…and so could mine."

Marco looked at the timestamp: Day 674. He took a step back… _that's nearly 2 years!_

Marco caution a look at Hestia, she stood there eyes wide and sheet white, almost like her mother's.

"Hestia—"  
"…Sunflower, she's not waking up. Uncle Omni and Father Time never seen anything like it, good news is that she's in no real danger…its as if she's stuck in some loop, she's not aging nor needs nourishment…but as long as she's under the loop she can't be woken up…" Hestia sighed and looked at the screen, "Dad…please drop your Ward."

"I have! It's not there anymore!" Marco cried, Hestia jumped at the sudden shout, "How long…? It's only been two—three years? Hestia how long has this been going on?" "…I don't know…"

The screen changed and a worn Hestia stared back at them, "…Hal David, he…he's just like Sunflower, I can't wake him. Mother please…stop."

Marco looked at the time stamp: Day 1442.

"No…no…no…" Marco shook his head looking upon the screen with dread, Hestia felt sick as the screen flickered showing a more tired and beaten Hestia every time…and the number kept rising.

Day 2198  
Day 2913  
Day 4091  
Day 4387  
Day 4766  
Day 5302  
Day 5620  
Day 5839

Marco took a step back and collapsed…  
"I…I did this to you…"

"Hestia…" Marco numbly moved closer to his future daughter, who stood there completely rigid, "…I'm so…so sorry…if I knew…I would never…I wouldn't have Ward Earth…not if it meant putting through this hell…"

"…I saw your past, Father…I saw what they did to you…if I was in your shoes, I would have been violent. No restraint. What you did was far more difficult than anyone could have managed…"

Hestia didn't turn to face him, but she spoke her voice close to sobbing, "...but now…I don't know if I should be happy or screaming at you…"

Marco numbly looked back at the screen seeing the time stamp as did Hestia, dreading the number he calculated and revulsion gripped him.  
"…I stole 16 years from you…you spent 16 years sending Hekapoo back…with no one to help you…"

Marco agonizing guilt racked him. He dreadfully waited for Hestia to lash out, to yell, something to rectify her burden for so many years of loneliness. And he wouldn't stop her.

Hestia closed her eyes and a pained expression tore through her face, her faces reddening as she squeezed her fists, she looked as if was going to explode.

Marco reached out to Hestia but the moment passed and Hestia relaxed…and spoke softly,

"…you know, Father…I'm glad I don't remember…cause I fear I would do something terrible if I did…maybe to myself…maybe to you…"

Marco shakily got to his feet and stood before her, unsure what to say or do,  
"Hestia, I'm sorry you spent all this time alone…I—"  
"I forgive you, Papa."

Marco stared at her.  
"But I—"

Hestia hugged him, burying her head into his chest, "I don't want to hate you, Papa…you didn't know, how could you? I can not even muster the anger to point at you, so please…don't hate yourself for what happened to me, please don't blame yourself…let's just find that portal and end this nightmare."

Marco was at a loss for words.  
So he did what came naturally: hugging Hestia, his daughter as tears slid down his face.  
"I don't deserve a daughter like you, Hestia…I left you nothing but misery, taking so much from you…"

Hestia pulled back at the words, wiping her tears, she looked at her father before she smiled, shaking her head, her eyes shining,  
"…no, you're wrong, Papa. This is a trifle to all the years you raised and loved me…I'm still here because of you…all that I am: started with you…and Hekapoo too—yes, Papa, after all that I've seen, I suppose she's my mother."

Marco smiled and wiped a tear from her cheek before he leaned over and kissed her forehead, she giggled. Collecting themselves, the two made they're way out of the temple feeling a great deal better after crying out their guilt and pain, pausing as they saw sleeping Diaz kids.

"…not long now."  
"They'll be fine, Hestia, I promise that portal will be closed."

The two turned to the temple entrance and froze when a shadow passed the threshold.

A sudden chill crawled down their spine.

"…was there anyone with you, Hestia?"  
"…I don't think so."

Marco and Hestia sprinted for the entrance, looking down the steps they saw the prone forms of Omni and Father Time. Hestia leapt 3 steps at a time and felt for their pulse and vitals; Marco yanked out his sword and prepared for a fight.

"Dad, they're alive…but just like my…siblings. Who are they…?"  
"…Hestia, is that the portal?"

Hestia could hear the uncertainty in her father's voice and slowly turned, she saw the portal and it reached to the heavens, scrapping it even. But that paled in comparison to what was happening, all the Hekapoos that should have come out of the portal…had not.

A massive figure stood in front of the portal before it turned its attention to them and the two leapt over the two Space-Time guardians and moved forward cautiously as to not catch them and the temple in the crossfire.

Marco and Hestia drew closer and their dread mounted as the imposing figure turned out to be a suit of black armor; the black metal twisted and ornately decorated, a massive horned helm sat on its shoulders.  
And it stood between them and the portal.

"…"

Marco felt the back of his hair rise, when it spoke up: a deep and old commanding voice that there were no resolution, no reprieve and no compromise but what it set down.

 **And pray tell: where do you think you're going, boy.**

"That portal has to be sealed, Hestia has been slaving over it for too long. It's the root cause of the universe in danger of breaking apart."

The suit of armor tilted its head at his words, before it peered down on him and Hestia.

 **I agree, however…do you think it was going to be so easy? All this suffering has awaken me from my slumber to find the universe in this pathetic state.**

"And who are you?" Marco spat, Hestia could feel dread hanging in the air, even at the end of the universe there was something more dreadful awaiting them.

The suit of armor seemingly jitters, as if chuckling at the question.

It might have been a whisper, but it might as well been a hurricane howling at their faces.

 **I have many names.  
** **But you only need to know one:**

 **I AM THE PENDRAGON KING**

Marco and Hestia felt their collective guts drop as the Traitor's Sword appeared in its black gauntlet, black fire wrapping around it.  
Marco leveled his own and it blazed into life, as if overjoyed to be able to fight itself.

"If you know what's at stake, then let me pass."

The Pendragon looked at the sword for a moment before it chuckled again,  
 **The universe can stand to suffer for another pathetic moment, boy.  
Come, let's see if you have the mettle bear my sword and the weight of All Creation upon yourself!**

Marco brought the sword into guard just as the Pendragon King flickered forward and swung, the strike sent bright red sparks in all direction and a shockwave to match, Marco flew to the horizon.

"FATHER! GRRR!"

Hestia inhaled and sent a formidable size fireball at the Pendragon.  
He merely swatted to the side, the explosion sending up a mushroom cloud.

Hestia snarled and pulled out the Dimensional Scissors, the Pendragon chuckled,  
 **That wee blade will not hurt me.**

"HOW ABOUT MINE!?"

Marco appeared above the Pendragon and brought the sword down, but the king merely brought the sword to bear and the two blades skitter off each other, sparks and bolts crackling.

Marco stood between him and Hestia, he panted as the two stare down each other.

The Pendragon flickered out of sight but Marco was ready and their blades met, Marco felt as if he was holding back an entire mountain as the king merely locked the blades and casually took a step forward, Marco roared as he skid back and pushed into the dirt.

 **Pathetic.**

Marco's eyes shined at the words and called upon the Elementals.  
They hesitated.

The Pendragon chuckled,  
 **They're scared. As they should be.**

Marco gritted his teeth and bowed to his side, letting the sword cleave into the ground. He ducked as Hestia shot another fireball, this time smaller and condensed: right for the king's helm.

The momentary distraction achieved, Marco sent a blazing arc point blank at the Pendragon King, making him back step.

 **Hmph.**

Marco grunted as an oversized gauntlet found his gut and flung him into the distance, Hestia slashed open a portal but the Pendragon merely flicked his wrist and Hestia flew just the same as her father only she landed on the fallen couch from the mock house.

Marco braced himself hitting solid ground, he pushed himself up and tried to attune himself to the Elementals again.

 _"Is he…really the Pendragon King…?_  
 _..._  
 _"Yes…_  
 _Marco, you have to run!_  
 _"Where? The entire universe is fucked."_  
 _…this is not how I thought we would go!_

Marco pulled himself up as the king appeared before him again, he could feel eyes study him, judging his worth,

 **Pat—**

Marco spun and snapped his sword out unleashing a devastating arc at the Pendragon King, fueled irritated fury at the careless assumption. Pieces of black metal was sheared but otherwise, the massive King merely buffed through it.

Marco raised his sword to follow-up with a hack into the exposed area when his blood ran cold gazing upon the Pendragon.

A skeleton.  
A flaming skeleton hid inside the armor, its eyes burned with righteous fire.

Marco overcome his surprise too late as the Pendragon swung his sword; several crackling raptors came screeching at him, Marco retaliated immediately, cursing his miss opportunity,

FIREBRAND: FIRE DARTS!

The birds exploded at contact and the two faced each other, the Pendragon ran a metal finger down the exposed armor.

 **Not bad, boy.  
However, you will not get the chance again. **

"We'll see about that."

Marco held the sword, as did the Pendragon King; feeling the rising tension as the two stared each other down. King versus Dark Knight. Marco ignited his sword just as the king grabbed the sword blade and pulled, the Traitor's Sword lengthening under his touch, the sword chatter as it morph too taking a refine regal design.

 **A sword fit for a king.**

Marco refrained from rolling his eyes and let loose a blazing arc, the king swatted it aside with an icy arc and flicker forward, the Dark Knight already anticipating the move and met the king. If he was surprised it didn't show on his flaming skeletal face as the two clashed blades.

Marco swung with every fiber of his being, knowing anything less would not stop king's own and send him flying into the horizon again. With every hit Marco felt his body rattle, throwing his body's equilibrium off. It might have been a dozen or a thousand but Marco's knew he was waning.

The king's next blow came and the jarring feeling of the Traitor's Sword torn from his numb fingers sent Marco's guts plummeting.

 _"Ignis!"  
I…I…_

Marco lazily rolled as the sword swing would have decapitated him, he held out a hand for his sword but the king's sword crackled and he threw it where Marco's sword laid. The king's sword electrified the ground and seemingly a chain of lightning wrapped around the Traitor's Sword.

 **Go on, see if you can survive being electrocuted.**

Marco snarled and threw a punch, the king's black gauntlet caught his face and held it even as Marco's fists smacked into solid metal.

 _"Ignis, please!" ..._  
 _"Ignis, you promised!" ..._

Marco felt the fingers squeeze, the image of his head crushed like an egg-shell made him threw another desperate punch.

A fireball smote the Pendragon King in the face.  
Caught off guard.

Marco breathed in before sending another fireball from his fist then blowing out a gust of wind, amplifying the blast causing him to stagger.

 _"…thank you."  
…I'm sorry, Marco…we were too afraid to fight, but even though you're outmatched you still fight._

Marco wiped his chin, feeling the scalds on his body,  
 _"What are you talking about? He's the one outmatched now."_

The king saw the change in Marco and slammed his massive gauntlet into the ground, sending a rippling shockwave.

The jutting rocks stopped just before it struck him.

Ignis, Gnome, Undine and Sylph channeled their powers into Marco before he let loose a ferocious tirade of elemental strikes.

He covered his fist in stone and punched the helm, Marco spun and pulled water from underneath and geyser him into the air before using frigid winds to incase him ice and brought him down in a sickening crash.

It would have if not for him breaking free and plummeting gauntlet first into the ground, ready to send a devastating shockwave. Marco slammed both hands into the ground before it churned turning into a mud pit, the king sunk deep harmlessly before Marco raised several mudmen and they dogpile on the Pendragon, smothering his flames.

"IGNIS!"

The elemental leapt out of Marco, she gracefully waved her arms, spinning on toe and heel as fire erupted all around her in varying shades of iridescent red, yellow, orange, blue and white. She snapped her fingers and the fires dived into the mud pit turning it molten, steam and smoke burst out of it.

Ignis looked at her handiwork, twirling one last time before seeping back into Marco, he patted his chest feeling a brief fever before it faded.

Marco took a step to his sword just as the harden slag exploded revealing the Pendragon, his armor red-hot. He flickered for Marco just as he summoned Undine and Sylph to blast him with frigid ice water, super cooling the armor before stone clung to his foot and he kicked the shit out of the king.

Breaking apart more armor and sending him reeling back, Marco found his fists covered in stone again and he pummeled the king, cracking the brittle armor. Marco kicked him just as a boulder rose behind him crashing into it as Marco dived in with his stone covered knee for the helm, cracking it and exposing the skeletal face.

Marco panted as the Pendragon slumped to the ground, the rocks falling off him, he looked at the flames weakly flickering on skull for a moment.

"…!" **  
…oh? So close to.**

Marco gasped as his Traitor's Sword was a hairbreadth away from impaling the skull.  
The king's Pendragon Sword was impaled through his chest.  
Marco glanced down before the sword fell from his hand.

 **To think you realize I lifted the hold I had over your sword, called it and readied to kill me in the same instant I did. You would have too…had I been a lesser man.**

The Elementals screamed, as did Monster Arm as the sword ended their lives.

Marco thickly swallowed, blood filled his mouth and he put a hand over his lips.  
The Pendragon merely watched him, waiting for him to die.

Marco felt the familiar clammy death grip, he looked at the Pendragon King.  
Waiting.  
Uncaring.

He grabbed the sword guard and pushed, he gasped as blood ran down from his mouth and wound, soaking his clothes and hands, but still he pushed. Until the blade left his body, the king raised the sword again to impale him but he caught the blade with his hand, it was futile, he lost too much blood, cold and weak, but…he didn't want to give the king the satisfaction of an easy kill, he would fight and fight; making it as unrewarding as possible.

His eyes burned, turning a harsh red and blue before it was engulf in black, venomous green filled it and glared down at the Pendragon King.

The Traitor's Sword appeared in his hand and he drove it into the king's skull, twisting it before the skeleton screamed hellishly, thrashing in it's death throes before exploding, Marco's entire vision filled with nothing but white.

* * *

 **…  
Marco.**

Marco blinked, he was slumped over the Pendragon King's fist.

 **Get off me already.**

He pushed the gauntlet away and readied his sword, the king looked at him,

 **You already saw what will happen if we cross blades, Marco; you have more pressing matters to attend to.**

He looked aside and saw Hestia waking up from the couch, she shook her head and got to her feet.  
He glared at the Pendragon,

"What did you do to her? The battle we just had."

 **I simply knocked her out, as for the battle: just an illusion, a powerful one I might add since your buddies fell for it too. The moment I struck you in the gut I put you under, they should wake up. Eventually.**

"It was a test." Marco snarled.  
The king shrugged.

 **Of sorts, yes. When you came into the future I needed to know a few things about you and the path you have been walking. I'm impressed.**

"I'm so fucking happy you are. Now move so I can close that damn portal." Marco seethed, the king paused before the sword flashed forward and prick Marco's palm.

He pulled his hand back as the king let the blood seep into the sword before nodding his head,  
 **Mhmmm, not yet, I see.**

Marco pointed his sword at the Pendragon.  
Hestia joined her father, unsure what was going on.

"All of this…for a drop of blood." Marco waved his hand around, surprisingly the cut healed itself.

 **Oh, I have nothing to do with this mess.  
Like I said I was awaken to the universe's distress.**

The Pendragon King held up his hand to stop both Marco and Hestia.

 **And I do not clean after others messes.  
I do not care that I have the sword to fix this problem.  
You made this; so you know what must me done. **

Marco simmered in his anger as Hestia looked worriedly between the two.  
The king sighed and turned his back to them as he walked off,

 **This body isn't mine, but I can inhabit it for a short duration before I have to once again leave into the ancestral plane of existence…I had to be sure your resolve was strong; that you were capable for the trials ahead boy.**

"…"

 **You will stand before me once again.  
Let us see what kind of person you are then.**

And with that the Pendragon King vanished.

Marco looked where he stood before he faced the portal, seeing all the Hekapoos seemingly frozen. Hestia looked at it with her father, placing a hand against it feeling the solid one-way entry of the portal. Marco looked at the closest one, she looked driven if not borderline obsessive, she looked as if she hadn't eaten all day.

"Papa…"  
"Don't worry. It's all over now."

Marco looked up, Hestia did too before she grabbed her father and slashed a portal underneath them, surprising her father. Marco and Hestia fell from an amazing height, "Papa! Do it now!"

Hestia pointed, Marco pulled her close with one hand and the other he stabbed the portal with the Traitor's Sword, willing it to close the portal. Hestia grunted as the sword slid from the top down like a zipper on the portal, Hestia palmed fire and slowed their descent as Marco brought the sword low to the ground.

Hestia backstep and stared where the portal used to be.

Gone.  
It was over.

She looked up and speckles of light began to show up in the dark canvas.  
She smiled even when blood dripped out of her nose.

"Hestia? HESTIA!"  
"I-I'm fine, really…" Hestia tried to smile as she felt her head throb at first then steadily it felt fit to bursting. Marco caught her as the heaven's began to light up with stars, she looked at it and her memories began to flood back… _maybe…if I was asleep…it wouldn't be…so bad…_

"Papa…bring me…to them…" Hestia pointed over her shoulder.  
"What? No! Hestia, you're—!"  
"NOW."

Marco was torn, but nonetheless he slashed a portal and fell next to Omni and Father Time, Hestia pulled herself from her father and grabbed the two prone forms, her mind racked with pain.

Memories overwriting each other.  
It felt as if they were at war with what she learned and what she knew.

"Hestia!"  
"I…I gotta send…you back. Wipe your memories…so you don't change…the timeline…" Hestia wheezed.

Marco stared at her, "You can't wipe my memories. I've Ward my mind."  
"Damnit, Papa, what is it with you and Wards?! Drop it, please. Don't you…want me to born?"  
"Then I'll follow this timeline: I'll marry Hekapoo, we'll have you, raise you—" Marco pleaded.  
"No, Dad, if you go back with that mindset…you already change the timeline…you could erase me…please you have to go back with no recollection of this…of this future…of me. Please, if you love me...you have to forget me."  
"It's not just me inside of me."  
"It'll work on them too!" Hestia cried, uncaring as the pain mounted.

Marco stared at her, seeing her struggle to stay conscious as the memories bombard her and her mind desperately trying to sort itself, super imposing memories atop of memories. The stress and her cognitive function pushed to the brink as it continued to stack.

"…I don't want to forget you, Hestia."  
"…I know, Papa."

Hestia closed her eyes as she synchronize herself to the unconscious two, accessing their awesome power: sifting through countless timelines to send Marco to his native one, bending space-time to her will and making the portal to sap the memories from whomever passed it.

The task and stress was…unbelievable.  
To do it while being ripped apart mentally…

Hestia blinked as her vision swam, she couldn't even see him anymore.

"Go…now…"

Marco gave her one last look and stepped into the portal,  
"I love you, Hestia."  
"…love you…too."

Marco was flung backwards as Hestia drifted further and further away from sight, he yelled reaching out to her as memories of her were taken from him.  
He gazed at the entrance of the portal; unsure who was the girl at the end of it.  
And why he felt like crying at the thought.

Hestia gasped, feeling the portal close as universe went into overdrive, mending itself.  
Galaxies, stars, constellations, dimensions and the like exploded with activity once again.  
The universe…she and her father brought it back from the brink.

They had done the impossible.

The victory was short lived.  
Hestia's mind already burden with information and memories clashing from the initial onset had an information dump, overloading her weaken mind.

She gasped as a searing pain struck her entire being, leaving her rigid for a moment before she crumpled into the ground, unceremoniously.

Even as the universe recovered, who would know the price Hestia had paid for it?

* * *

The Blood Moon Goddess wept at Hestia's fate, silvery tears cascading down her face, her hair disheveled and her red garb in tatters.

 _No more…  
Please, Marco…  
Haven't you lost enough already…?_

And the goddess fled.

 **XxXxXxXxX**

* * *

Sorry, my avid readers for my long absence.  
Things have been extremely rough for me in real life.

I hoped to that negativity wouldn't leave so much on the chapter, but...  
I just hoped the Redemption Arc has enough good vibes to make up for the crumby ones recently.

Ciao,  
I AM NRG

 **END OF TRANSMISSION**


	25. Hestia End

**.  
Disclaimer: **and so it ends.

 **Chapter 24**

Hestia End

 **XxXxXxXxX**

"Marcus…is this?"  
"…yeah, it's Hestia's."

Marcus Diaz looked at the memorial stone as did the rest of the Diaz children, placed where the portal used to be it.  
There was no more a fitting place for it, the same place where Hestia had toiled for years keeping the universe together.

Sunflower ran her hand across the cold stone before Mythra picked her up so they could read the inscription engraved upon it

* * *

Hestia 'Don't-Call-Me-That' Diaz  
Daughter  
Sister  
Heroine

First Child and Eldest Daughter of  
Marco 'Marcus' Ubaldo Pendragon-Diaz  
Hekapoo Diaz

Let it be known she held the fate of All on her shoulder;  
Keeping the tapestry of time true and in order.  
Even at the cost of her precious life,  
She stood resolute, above fear and strife.

But above all: truly a kind and loving soul.  
May her name be eternally remembered for her valor, duty and compassion for All.

* * *

"…big sister." Sunflower mumbled, tracing the engraving."

"...Hestia."  
"...sister."

"...soeur."  
"...sorella."

"...sis."  
"..."

"Hestia would have wanted something more…uplifting. Happy."

And the siblings took a moment of silence.  
Reflecting on their sister's sacrifice.

.

"Well, what do you expect when you bring a slab to our favorite dragon half-sibling, huh?" Hestia laughed, the other Diaz kids turned and waved to her, Sunflower leapt out of Mythra's arms and ran up to her older sister.

"Where have you been?"  
"Oh, you know, Uncle Omni fussing over me again when I got out of the hospital from my check up." Hestia laughed as she knelt to hug her sibling.

"Oh, Sunflower…you're so heavy now." Hestia mock grunting, Sunflower pouted, "No more Snooker Bars for you."  
"Bleh!" the child blow a raspberry at her sister.

"It's not fair you're the only one who got to see Father again." Hal David whined, the others however agreed, especially Marcus, he had a striking resemblance to their father, often mistaken for him.

They were lucky to find Hestia after they awoke and rushed her to the nearest healer, had they not go there when they did…well, it didn't bear to thinking. Hestia was asleep for 10 days before she awoke; she couldn't help but babble about their father being in the future and them working together to close the portal.

Normally, they would think she had gone mental from her vigil of the portal , but seeing as the sword gone and the timelines realigned they took her word for things being set in order once again. Assurance from Father Time and Uncle Omni only cemented it.

Hestia looked thoughtful for a moment,  
"Well, he saw all of you sleeping." Hestia said comfortingly.

"I…I suppose."  
"Mhmmm."  
"It's not the same, Hestia."  
"I know, I know. Still, Dad was a teenager, not an adult yet, it would have been unsettling to see him like that."  
"So what? Mom said Dad was a huge dork when they met and ended up together."  
"Yeah, I know. I was super jelly when I saw Mom being clingy."  
"What? You had an Electra moment?"  
"Sorta kinda…"

Hestia's sisters stared at her, while the boys paused then laughed their asses off.

"What!? I had my memory stolen from me! I reacted the way I thought was right!" Hestia felt her cheeks flare.  
"WOW, Hestia. Crushing on Dad! Ewww~" Flammetta made a face, Sunflower saw this and mimic her sister, too.  
"Hestia, you're standards are like Legendary tier. No guy exists like that anymore." Ignacia teased.  
"Oh, come off it, if we were in her shoes it wouldn't be any different. Well, minus Sunflower anyways." Mythra picked up the youngest Diaz child.

Hestia rolled her eyes at her sibling's snickering,  
"Whatever. Now that the universe is fixed, we can live it up again. Father Time and Uncle Omni have been working overtime."

"Mhmmm, it's a pity that Grandpa Pendragon took the sword, I wanted a swing at it." Sighed Marcus, the rest nodded and agreed. With the sword gone, their parent's resting place felt emptier, but at the very least it called upon their father to save them from catastrophe.

In a way, their parent's were still watching over them.

Hestia smiled and looked at the sky,  
"It's where it belongs…I'm sure it will show up sooner or later."

Sunflower ran up to Hestia tugging her sleeve, "Was Papa cool? Like your stories?"  
Hestia smiled, Sunflower spent the shortest time in their birth dimension, time moved extremely slow for the hybrid children only their birth dimension affected them normally. After their parents passed, they couldn't bear to stay in their ancestral home, too many good memories was made there and the children didn't want to spend the rest of their days grieving what they lost.

Their parents certainly wouldn't want that for them.

"Yes, little flower, Papa was super cool! He said you looked super cute! Kawaii even." Hestia boop Sunflower on the nose and she giggled, "And when he used his sword, it was just like the stories and the portraits all over universe! He held out his hand and bam!"

Hestia mimicked a her favorite pose her father used to do when she was Sunflower's age, it never failed to put a smile on her face.

An iridescent light erupted blinding Hestia and her siblings, she blinked wildly; her siblings cried out in surprise and concern for her.

"Sister!"  
"Hestia!"  
"Whoa!"

Blinking furiously to rid herself of the dots that swam in her vision, she came to see her siblings looking at her, sheet white.

"!"  
"…Hestia."  
"No way…"

Hestia followed their line of sight:

The Traitor's Sword in her hand.

"Figures."  
"Hot damn!"  
"Aw, Hestia!"  
"Neat-o!"  
"You have Papa's sword!"

Hestia held the sword, turning it slow letting the blade catch the light: it was the real deal. And not once did it shock her like when she was a child; it felt…accepting of her. Her sibling looked at her with approval,

"…you're the new master of the sword, sister."  
"Better take care of it or Dad will visit you."  
"I'm glad it's back."

"Same here."

Hestia smiled and brought the sword forth just the same way her dad used to and it blazed into life, ready to serve its new master.

"I've seen dad use this sword to do a lot of crazy things before...whose up for some time-travel shenanigans!?"  
"Yeah!"  
"Yes!"  
"I've been waiting for this all my life!"  
"Let's go see Papa first!"  
"Ooh, I always wanted to slap someone in the back of the head!"

However, their talks of time-travel was cut short by subsequent yells from the authority in time and space, timespace/spacetime.

"Hold it, you crazy kids!"  
"The universe nearly broke, you knuckleheads! Give it a rest!"

Father Time and Uncle Omni seemingly popped out of nowhere and yell at them before the Diaz kids quickly ran away from the two figures, Hestia grinned widely as she swung and ripped open a rift, ready to start a whole new adventure with her siblings.

"Hestia, no!" the two cried.  
"Hestia, YES!" the eldest Diaz child cackled, Omni could hear the reminiscent of his sister in the laugh.

The kids grinned at the aghast faces.

"Let's get the whole family in on this! Every single one of them in the other timelines!"

The siblings cheered and whole-heartedly leapt into the golden portal.  
Father Time and Omni yelling at them from the portal entrance before it promptly closed.

Hestia let herself fall, feeling better than she had before.  
She pulled the sword and looked at her reflection, seeing every bit of her father and mother in her.

 _Dad...thank you for coming back and saving us…I miss you everyday...oh and Mom, too! Hehe~!_

Hestia turned and looked at the portal exit, smiling at the new adventures that await her and her siblings.

 **XxXxXxXxX**

* * *

And that concludes Hestia's Arc in my fanfic. I had initially had plans for Hestia to break into the timelines to help her father, sorta serving as a Deus Ex Machina cliche, but after so many drafts and writing her arc, I realized she was just too good of a character to end up like that. She really is her father's daughter, and Hekapoo's too.

And so Hestia's adventures continues in,  
Hestia the Renegade Knight.  
Or Hestia the Timeline Cop.  
Hestia the Dimension Breaker/Time Breaker.

That's what I originally intended for Hestia after she acquired the Traitor's Sword, her having her own AU fanfic. But that would have taken away time to write the main fanfic and I have so little resources to spare as it is.

Also for those interested, children born in order:

Hestia Diaz  
Marcus Diaz + Venus Diaz-Butterfly  
Sol Butterfly-Diaz, Summer Thomas-Diaz, Sparrow, Zinnia Diaz, Mythra Diaz  
D'Artagnan Diaz, Marcello Lightningsong-Diazson  
Ignacia Diaz + Flammetta Diaz  
Vincent Diaz  
Orion Diaz  
Soliel Diaz + Dante Diaz  
Hal David Diaz  
Sunflower Diaz

Also, I want to address some concerns of Marco's 'future' actions plainly: future Marco is an idiot. Yeah, it seems out of character for Marco to suddenly go ham and clap cheeks with every female possible, but this is a timeline where Marco DOES get very carnal with the ladies. And it's pretty much canon in this fanfic that Warco did indulge in his carnal desires when Marco was trapped in the mirror, so there is a considerable chance of this repeating. Maybe. Who knows.

And so the following chapters will be leading up to the final showdown.  
Hopefully it will shed some clarity and it'll be easy to follow and digest.

Ciao,  
I am NRG

 **END OF TRANSMISSION**


	26. Redemption Arc

.  
 **Disclaimer:** back at it again with these updates. And spell check machine broke.

 **Chapter 25**  
Redemption Arc

 **XxXxXxXxX**

* * *

"FUCK!" Hekapoo seethed once she was brought up to speed by the three girls, they stood where Marco had been minutes before, "Where did he go!?"

"HEY! WATCH YOUR FUCKIN' LANGUAGE!"

Kelly, Janna, Jackie and Hekapoo instinctually ducked as the waitress came striding in, she glared at all of them before the four of them got back to the booth. Kelly fidgeted as she sat next to Hekapoo, she looked like she just got out of a fight, one of her horns were cut nearly to a stub.

Janna and Jackie looked at the newcomer, Janna had some knowledge of Hekapoo, Star's tidbits while Jackie had almost zero, although she felt a strange connection to the lady blacksmith…like she and her had someone in common.

"…does this place have any liquor?" Hekapoo snapped suddenly, the three hopped at words but before they could answer the waitress was back, she frowned at Hekapoo and threw the menu at the table before stalking away.

"…ugh, all kiddy drinks; this is something Marco would drink…" Hekapoo tossed the menu aside and leaned back, feeling the injuries covering her body throb. Kelly looked at the table seeing no one ready to speak, she mentally braced herself,

"Hekapoo…what are you doing here?"  
"…I came to Earth to find Marco; lo and behold he runs the moment I get here…typical."

Jackie and Janna frowned at the brusque way Hekapoo spoke of Marco, it was as if they knew each other _pretty_ well.

"Excuse me, but who are _you_."  
"Hekapoo of Magic High Commission—look if Marco isn't here, I'm going to bounce." She winced at the utterance when a surge of pain racked her, however the three collectively watched the top-heavy newcomer's rack match her words. Kelly felt a jab to her self-esteem while Janna and Jackie stared at it longingly.

"…ah."  
"Yeah. Later." Hekapoo tried to get up before she sat back down, wincing in pain.

The trio looked at her concerned before the waitress came around the booth and handed Hekapoo a drink and a roll of bandages, a glass of water for everyone else,  
"It's on the house, sweetie."  
"…thanks."

Hekapoo took a sip of the drink, frowning before she looked around for some hot sauce before she gave up and continued. The trio looked at each other, unsure what to say or do; it was hella awkward for all of them.

"So…Hekapoo, what's your relationship to Marco?"  
"Muscles? What's it to you?" Hekapoo replied offhandedly.

Before Jackie could retort, Janna eager for more information on the newcomer and Kelly getting ready to get the hell out of dodge from the ensuing catfight

Something slammed on the table, spilling drinks on their respective owners before the chaos could even erupt.

Marco laid on the table as wayward memories filled his mind as the occupants were yelling around him…

* * *

 **[Prima Arc]**

* * *

Marco contemplated the offer that the Concept laid before him, but instead of jumping right into it, he decided to get his Warband back on its feet first before disappearing for who knows how long. He also went back to Earth and make sure time was still working to his advantage, knowing that Chronos close proximity had shielded him from the adverse effects of many dimensions.

After informing his Warband of his absences, much to their dismay, Marco set off for Chronos's secret home world of Prima. The Concept insisted that it would be worth his while but he couldn't help but feel it was going to cause a lot trouble for himself and the Concept.

He was right.

Landing in what he assumed was the capital, Marco was greeted to the wondrous sight of what he suppose was a city carved out of nature; the overwhelming sense of life brimming was palpable to Marco.

The Concept of Time bounced off his head and the pocket watch turned into an unearthly but beautiful woman, gracefully curtsey before him as several beings of nature came running, flying, gliding, sliding, slithering and other modes of movement towards them from the distance.

/Welcome to Prima, Marco. You're the first in eons./

 ** _Goddamn, she's hawt! Hol' up, there are a ton of hos here! And undressed too!_**

Monster Arm's proclamation was, albeit a rude one, on the money: they were so scantily clad they might as well been naked as they drew closer. They greeted Chronos with hugs, kisses and worry however those who waited their turn soon forgot as their eyes fell upon Marco, feeling their…predatory looks at him. One wrapped in wing angel wings merely stared at him.

"Uh, hi?"

 _It's a male._

Marco felt his entire body tense as they slowly stalked closer, Chronos spared a glance at Marco and yelled,

/Sisters, wait!/

They paused.

/I want to break him in first!/

"WHAT?!"  
 ** _Ooh yesss!_**

They looked at Chronos.  
Before they leapt at Marco as he scurried away from them.

/Marco don't run! That'll just make them hornier!/

Marco ran faster.

He felt the ground tremble as he skidded from what looked like a rippling underground torpedo headed straight for him, he jumped just as two hands tried to grab his ankles before latching on a nearby tree to avoid it.

 _Oh my. The first male in eons…and he's a tree hugger~_

Marco almost snapped his neck as he swivel at the voice, a face was on the tree trunk, looking amused at his plight.

 _This is the part you yell and run away. Don't make it too easy for us~_

Marco did just that and sprinted away, he could hear devious mischievous laughter tickling his ears as he tried to lose them in a nearby grove: he had the home field advantage now.

 ** _Uh, idiot, they're Elementals right? Doesn't that mean this entire place is their home field?  
_** _"...fuck"_ ** _  
Hah…dumbass._**

Marco didn't have time to contemplate his miscalculation when a gust of wind tore through the grove and pinned him to a tree, a girl appeared before him, smiling widely,  
 _I've got—!_

Marco summoned the Traitor's Sword and held it threateningly at her throat, the girl's eyes peered down on him: not a shred of fear in it.  
Instead he felt something primal stared back at him.

 _Go on. See if you leave here alive._  
"…I don't want to hurt you. Any of you. So why are you all acting like—" **_dick-starve cock sleeves in front of an all you-can-suck-dick-buffet?_**

 _…okay, now that's just hurtful. And true._

Marco was more surprised at the fact the girl could hear Monster Arm rather than the insult it just spouted.

 _Sister, you big meanie!  
AH!_

Marco watched as the girl shot away from him as massive crystals grew out from the ground, a little girl ran up to him, her eyes a bright teal, hair a shade darker and her skin an unnatural blue tinge.

 _This way! Hurry!_

Marco blinked as the girl ran to a tree before the roots parted and she crawled in, unsure what to do, Marco followed down the tunnel. In less than a minute he found himself in an underground room, the girl waved to him.

 _That was close, I don't normally get to scare off my sister like that._

"…what's the deal with all of them?"

 _Easy: Prima has been isolated for eons. Only a chosen few are granted the luxury to leave when they please. So rare for us to get…visitors. Especially of the male persuasion~_

Marco turned and saw another girl, she laid on her side, smiling at him.  
She had wavy fiery red, yellow and orange hair, like a living flame, her skin tawny and eyes like glowing coal. Marco how no doubt what element she was.

 _Greetings, I am—sorry! It seems you can't comprehend our names._

The Elemental stopped as Marco rubbed his ears,  
"Yeah, but surely you have a name that I can use?"

She spoke again but Marco shook his head, each one just sounded like more screeching.

 _Hmmm…I guess you'll just have to give me a nickname for now.  
_ "How about flame?"  
 _…why that?  
_ "Eh? Aren't you the element fire?"

She frowned and rested the back of her hand under her chin, looking peeved.  
 _No. I'm—what you do call it?...ah! I'm Radiation._  
"WHAT!?" Marco's hands shot over his nuts.

The Elemental looked at his shocked face before doubling over, laughing at him,  
 _Ooh, that's what you get for giving me such a plain name!_  
"…so you _are_ the element of fire?"  
 _Mhmmm, yes I am…hot stuff~  
_ "…right. Hmmm, how about Ignis?"

The Elemental tilted her head back and forth before nodding at the new christen name,  
 _That'll work, better than called just 'fire' anyways._

The little girl watched the display, the two so comfortable with each other upon meeting...the girl watched them for a moment longer before she made a gesture behind her back, Ignis tensed for a second before she suddenly fell out of view shocking Marco, he scamper forward seeing a hole had swallowed Ignis.

Marco tried to yell out to her but the little girl immediately latched on to him, her hand over his mouth muffling it.

 _One of my sister must have sensed her. You have to stay still._  
"But she just _—_ right...right."

The little girl smiled widely as Marco calmed down, she pulled herself closer, taking a discreet sniff at the nape of his neck. Disturbed at the sudden disappearance Marco began to formulate a plan, only to be distracted when the little girl took a crystal and dangled it in front of Marco and swayed it like those generic hypnosis gags.

 _Sleep. Sleeep~  
_ "…?"  
 _Close your eyes…drift to sleep~_  
"…I really shouldn't."  
 _…eh?_

Before Marco could question what she was doing a loud voice thundered from above.

/Where are you, cock meat!? ANSWER ME!/

Marco froze.  
It was the most masculine voice he had ever heard.  
The little girl shrunk into the darkness.

/FINE! I HAVE OTHER WAYS TO FIND YOU…/

 _Rain drop~  
"—drop top!"_

Marco slapped a hand over his mouth at his utterance, unsure why he was compelled to answer.

Without warning the top of the room was pried open and a victorious woman smiled upon him,  
/FOUND YOU~/

.

 _[Musica let him go.]_

Marco was in a full nelson by the Concept of Music, she sneered at the words made by the Light Elemental, Chronos sighed at her sister as the rest of them gathered.

/He's mine. ALL MINE!/  
"What is wrong with her?!"

/Musica is tied to the Concept of Music. Meaning all music in the universe./  
 _[Sadly, the state of music has gone downhill in recent years. Hence why Musica is so easily agro.]_

"…that is so meta." Marco said, wrestling himself free, finally.

/I KNOW/ + _[I know.]_

The Light Elemental looked at Marco,  
 _[What is your business here, outsider.]_

"Wow. Name calling."  
 _[Fine. What are you doing here, intruder.]_

/He is here at my behest. I bore witness to his heroic nature and deeds, someone of his caliber has not been seen in eons, I should know I've been passed down so many family lines and bore witness to rise and falls of civilizations. He is worthy of wielding our powers. So I brought him to Prima and if you agree: lend him your blessing./

The Elementals murmured at the declaration.  
The Concept had discarded expressions.

 _[No. Chronos send him back. I don't want him here.]_

Marco looked at the Light Elemental, she looked at him with guarded eyes,  
 _[Prima is a special place. If you care about it's inhabitants then you will leave. And never speak of it to anyone.]_

/Now, now, that's pretty harsh, I brought him here and he will NOT leave empty handed. Buuut, I do see your point. Okay, if Marco can't get a blessing from an Elemental then I will comply and boot him out of Prima. Are we agreed?/  
 _[No. He may be heroic in nature and deed. But he isn't_ _pure_ _.]_

Two Concepts walked over the first pressed a hand over his heart, the other hand on his forehead.  
The other grabbed his dick.  
Marco hopped at the sudden grab.

/Good news: he's a virgin. Pure as the day he was born./  
 _[…oh by the elements, you have to be kidding me!]_

The Elementals and Concept immediately latch upon Marco, Musica grinded against him, nibbling on his earlobe.

 _I promise, I'll be gentle!_  
 _I'm an amazing lover!_  
 _Pick me! Pick me!_

 _[GET OFF HIM! You're supposed to be the pure embodiment of nature! Virginal spirits and avatars of nature!]_

The Elementals and Concepts pouted at the words.  
Others snickered.

 _Pffft. Sure. Virgin._  
 _To be fair, we still are._  
 _…I mean—technically._

Marco's vision was soon obscured by many vying women and so he only caught snippets of Chronos and the Light Elementals arguments, but it came down to if Marco could handle the Light Elemental's powers.

The other Elementals and Concepts pouted that their sister would take Marco first and kept an iron grip on him.  
Until a warm hand caught his and pulled him free.

Ignis smiled at him.  
Before glaring at the rest of her sisters and pulled Marco to the Light Elemental.  
Ignis ushered him forward whilst he stood in front of the Elemental,

 _[…if my Light doesn't kill you…then you may be able to use any of my Sister's element; so long as they are willing to give you their Blessings.]_  
/Or a Concept's Favor./ Chronos chirped in.

Marco looked tentatively at the Light Elemental as she unfurled her wings revealing a gorgeous woman. Frowning.

She held out a hand and he took it.

And his vision went stark white as Light flooded into his being.  
Monster Arm screamed in agony at the invading light.

 _Marco!_

His vision returned and he painfully glanced over to the Elemental, Ignis's eyes shining with every color facet of flames, concern etched into them.

 _Don't die!_  
"…I'm trying to!"

As if the words were an insult, the Light Elemental cranked up the intensity and Marco was racked with god awful pain, he grabbed his chest feeling a burning sensation: the Roman Numeral went from II to I. The smell of sizzling hair and skin became apparent.

/ _*inaudible*_ that's enough! Are you trying to kill him?/  
 _[…I had to be sure.]_

Marco fell to the ground, gasping for air as the Elementals crowd around him concerned, some even caressing him.  
Intimately.

Marco swatted the hands away, getting to his feet and glaring at the indifferent Light Elemental,  
"What's the big idea? HUH?"  
/…sooo, now this little test is over, who wants to give Marco their Blessing?/

All Elementals shot their hands up into the air eagerly.  
The Light Elemental exhaled noisily.

/I see everyone is excited. Hey! What did I say! Alright, since all of you would give it to Marco in a drop of his pants _—hat, I meant hat_ , you got to make him do a test so—hey, quit pouting! Devise a test so it's not just a freebie!/

"Hol' up, I want to give you a name like I did for Ignis—I can not take anymore screeching."  
/Ignis?/  
 _[No. What right do you have to name an Elemental. Sacrilege!]_

Chronos looked to override her sister, but the death glare from the Light Elemental made her hesitant.

/Only if you complete their test may you deign them a name, Marco. Now listen here, sisters: do not go easy on this legal cock meat. And I mean it!/

The Elementals weren't happy with the instruction.  
And they weren't entirely creative with their test either.

There were the generic tests:  
[Ignis] _Climb that mountain but the fire can't go out!_  
[Sylph] _Run as fast as me._  
[Undine] _Empty out this lake with this bucket in a day._  
[Gnome] _Push this boulder._  
[Olive] _Bring me to your fineness fast food restaurant._  
[Salt] _Help me get good at Fortnite, I keep running into Tryhards and 9yearolds. Salty af rn._  
[Hanabi] _Let's go prank my sisters!_  
[Dunes] _Do you want to build a sandcastle~?_  
[Yuki] _Do you want to build a snowman~?_

There were the ones who didn't listen:

[Jewel]+[Automata]+[Moku]+[Raigu]+[Flask]+[Chronos]+[Spatial]+[Psyche]  
/Take off your clothes!/  
 _Go on._  
 _We won't tell~_

And the ones who really didn't listen:

[Toxin] _This is my juice (_ ﾉ∀ _` ) please drink it~_  
[Life]+[Death] /This is a matter of life and death! Take off your clothes!/  
[Historia] /You know there's a history where you DO take off your clothes and [bleep] me. Wanna see if it's this one?/

And the ones that were actually worth the effort to write:

/This here is a Walkman, Marco./  
"…okay? But why do I need one?"

Musica smiled sinisterly at him.  
/Because how would you be able to fight a Concept of Music without using music to fight back!?/

Marco was flung back as Musica made a gesture to him, the other Elementals and Concepts watched from a distance: amused and afraid.

 _Be careful, Marco, Musica is one of the most powerful Concept in Creation. Her body count is astronomical._  
"I'll keep that in mind."  
/9 out of 10 were Immortals./  
"WHAT!?"

Musica sang out as she blurred forward,  
 _You've been hit by…_  
 _You've been struck by—a smooth criminal~_

Marco felt as if he was stuck to the floor even though he intended to dodge, Musica landed two solid hits and sent him skidding across the ground.

"What the—?"  
/Song has power, little boy! Not only can I stop you from reacting I could even do this!/

Marco quickly scrambled through his Walkman searching for some counter to Musica's unorthodox power as she sang the verse while showing her shapely butt:

 _When she bend over it's a full moon_  
 _Say girl you gon' fuck around and_  
 _Turn a [bleep] into a werewolf_

"What the fuc—!?"  
 ** _HOLY SHIT!_**

Marco felt as if his body suddenly went through a painful growth spurt, he tore through his clothes as rippling muscle formed before a thick purple fur covered it, his face elongated, his features taking more canine appearance including a tail.

Musica laughed as Marco snarled baring his teeth,  
 ** _Oh for fuck's sake, I have the Walkman now brat, just rake her with your claws._**  
 _"I—!"_  
 ** _Just fuckin' do it!_**

Marco got on fours and launch himself, Musica readied to sing again,

 _Shut up_  
 _Just shut up_  
 _Shut up [3x]_  
 _Shut it up, just shut up_

Musica blinked when she was muted by the Walkman as Marco raked her, Monster Arm quick in the follow-up,

 _Crawling in my skin,_  
 _These wounds they_  
 _Will not heal_

Musica staggered back feeling the gashes on her before she grinned,  
/Not bad! But only one song effect may be used at a time!/  
Marco huffed and groaned as his body morphed back into human, he pulled his pants up as the Elementals tried to peek on him.

 _Let the bodies hit the floor_  
 _Let the bodies hit the floor_  
 _Let the bodies hit the floor_

 _Let the bodies hit the FLOOR!_

Marco and everyone else present found themselves with their faces on the ground, the Elementals cursed and complained while the Concepts merely sighed.

/Had enough little boy?/

Musica taunted, Marco scrapped the ground and bore his head up, eyes burning,

 _I will not bow_  
 _I will not break_  
 _I will shut the world away_  
 _I will not fall_  
 _I will not fade_  
 _I will take your breath away_

Musica doubled over as Marco lunged forward and punched her in the gut, she gasped and was sent flying.

/Yes! YES! Play more with me, Marco!?/

He flinched seeing Musica back up already, her eyes manic.  
"Monster Arm!"  
 ** _…I really didn't want to play this…oh well._**

 _DES_  
 _PA_  
 _CITO_

/Fuck that. I'm out./

Musica threw her hands up in the air and walked away.

"…did I win?"  
/Heck, no./  
"Damnit, Monster Arm!"  
 ** _Wha—fine. I'll fix this. Hey, B quit playin' I know you want to—_**  
/Oh, Concepts…why don't you eat my ass./  
 ** _Hah, as luck would have it, I'm a professional ass eater._**  
/…okay, now I need to see some credentials and a demonstration./  
 ** _Step into my office, don't mind the recording cam, that's for quality assurance._**

Marco, startled at the sudden turn of events, grunted as Musica powerwalk over and seep into him, Monster Arm pulled out its rap sheet and listing off his accomplishments.

 ** _Now we can go on and on about my past conquests OR you can quit playin' and let me tongue yo booty hole._**  
/Bet./  
"WHAT THE FUCK? YOU BETTER—Aaaaaah! AAAHHH!" the sound of clothes hitting the floor and wood creaking.  
 **DAMN BITCH YOU'RE TIGHT!**  
/DEEPER~ I CAN BARELY FEEL IT!/

Marco was rolling around on the ground.

 ** _You see Marco, I really hate how you flesh bags spout how good you are at a rim job, like you only get the tight pucker lips and 2 inches in, but me? I can make my tentacle sprout multiple mouths and all I have to do is my patented Slobber Drill maneuver: all I do is stick out my tongue and turn like a drill so I can taste every inch of her Hershey Highway._**

Marco clawed his ears.  
The sound of wet slithering slobber invaded every decibel range to which even the reader could imagine it.  
Toxin and Spatial fainted.

 ** _I could tell you what she had for dinner…last week~!  
_** Historia puked and immediately began to change history, the Elementals and Concepts frantically urging her.  
"GET OUT!" Marco roared before Musica moaned out content with the tongue lashing.

/Aah! Ooh, Monster Arm…I had better~/  
 ** _NANI!?_**

.

/I am the Concept of Soul and my test is simple, Marco./  
"I hope so." Marco said warily, the Concepts were a whole other league than the Elementals, to be sure they were powerful but the Concepts drew power from those who believed in the concept of their subject and with the universe chuck full of planets, dimension and civilizations…they were neigh unstoppable.

However, from what he understood: him asking to use their power and them giving it freely were two separate things.  
When he asked them to help him, like Historia to rewrite his history to something better; better results from his past doings…they asked something in return for the Favor. And Marco could never pay such a price.

/We'll step into my Domain…the Soul Ston—I mean, the Soul Room and there: your judgment will be at hand./  
"!"

Marco felt himself transported from Prima into an alien plane of existence, he looked around and only saw himself and the Soul Concept.

/I will recall all the souls linked to you, the dead only otherwise the living would just muddle up this judgment of ours./  
"…you won't include the souls Warco and Ocram took?" Marco asked tentatively.

The Soul Concept smiled warmly.  
/Of course, I am. This wouldn't be proper otherwise~/

And in an instant the blank plane-scape was filled with a tidal wave of deceased bloody souls crying, begging and positively angry at the sight of Marco. They charge at him with claw hands ready to rend him to pieces.

The Soul Concept faded from Marco's sight as a wave of weeping and bleeding bodies wash over him, their screams and cries, delirious with pain, suffering and hatred. Victims of Warco and Ocram.

Claw hands.  
Hateful words.  
Bleeding eyes.  
Sorrowful fates.

Marco tried to yell over the demonic din,  
"I didn't—! I know I—! Warco! Ocram! They—!"

 _YOU KILLED US!_

 _We did nothing wrong!_ A bleeding woman cried.  
 _Killed in cold blood!_ A sightless boy shook his fist.  
 _The weak and sick not spared_! An elderly man yelled his disembodied head held underneath his arm.

Marco was swallowed up in their pain, despair, hatred and scorn, a swirling mass of limbs kept Marco down, as if to drown him in their misery.

/Do you not feel regret for their deaths, Marco?/ came a grave voice.  
"I do! But I did not slay them all!"  
/Hah…excuses. And I thought you were above that. Fine. How about the ones you did kill?/

With a snap 99% of the bodies vanished and Marco got up, shaking from the ordeal, Soul smiled and gestured to the remaining.  
Marco's face drain in color.

Standing were the souls of those he did kill in his past adventures and mercenary career.

The dragon roared at him.  
The disgraced Dark Knight lifted his sword.  
King and Baron marched on him.  
Countless faceless mooks and goons pulled out their weapons.  
His fallen Warband members stood before him.

 _Hello…StudMuffin._

Marco threw the Concept a look of contempt, she smirked and gestured to the mob; Marco grimly took them on, dodging and fighting them with an astral projected Traitor Sword.  
But when a Warband member came he…he fled, he turned away, he couldn't strike them down.

Soul watched as Marco thin out the herd until the Warband members remained. Tired, Marco looked at who remained, he grimace at their accusing gazes and for a moment considered to resist...but in the end he simply closed his eyes and tilted his head to his feet. Resigning himself to his fate. His punishment.

He killed them once.  
He couldn't do it again.  
And so they overwhelmed him, howling their anger and ire upon him.

 _Have you nothing to say!?  
Did you think you would get away from what you did!?  
We will be waiting for you in the afterlife!  
DIE STUDMUFFIN!  
DIE!_

Marco felt every blow they did and he didn't bother to defend himself, this was his punishment for letting them die and lying to them. Marco felt ribs crack, fingers broken, he was choked before his body was pulled by the dead Warband, screaming for blood and their turn to exact vengeance upon their 'fallen leader'.

He looked at them with his good eye, seeing their mangled bloody bodies, he croaked,

"I…deserve…this…I'm sorry…I let you die…"

They screamed at his apology, even more embolden by it as they all grabbed a piece of Marco and ready to tear him apart with their bare hands.

 _"That's enough!"_

The mob was sent flying.

Marco felt a hand wipe his face, running down his broken body, mending it.  
His vision returned and he saw someone he loved alive once again: Vixen.

 _"Can't help yourself, huh, Marco~?"_

Marco got to his feet as Vixen stood in front of him, proudly smiling behind her were the Dread Squad, grinning.  
And StudMuffin.

 _You shield him?! After what he did to us!?  
"You were given the chance to walk away. But you stayed because you believe in him. Like I did, like we all did."  
I expect nothing less from StudMuffin's whore._

Vixen laughed mirthlessly as StudMuffin eyed her up and down at the insult,  
 _"I wish I was his, but I was not. Not that one either."_ She jut a thumb over her shoulder, the merc scoffed,  
 _"For fuck's sake…cock blocked by my own protégé."_

 _You will not protect him! He will die!  
Death to StudMuffin!  
"The fuck did I ever did to you?" _the Merc looked hella annoyed. _  
…?_

The dead Warband shoved a finger at Marco,  
 _He's StudMuffin!  
"He's Marco Diaz. I'm StudMuffin."_ Snapped the Merc.  
"…no, I'm both." Marco replied coldly.

The dead Warband went berserk at the back and forth and charged, uncaring,

 _THEN YOU WILL DIE TOO!_

The Dread Squad, Vixen and StudMuffin pushed forward and merely stood between them and Marco, grim at the sight of them all,  
 _WE WILL NEVER FORGIVE YOU!  
"And we forgave him."_

The dead Warband were inches away from bulldozing them before they vanished.  
The Concept smiled, as they stood resolute of being totally overwhelmed for Marco.

Vixen looked around curiously; once she was sure the danger had passed she faced Marco who was busy catching up with the eager Dread Squad members and walked up to him, brushing past former Warband members earning Marco's attention,

"Vixen, I—!" Marco started before soft lips met his own.  
 _"Atta boy."_ StudMuffin nodded.

Dreda, Dreadbot, Deadr, Eradd, Dread Beast and Lord Dread wolf whistle.  
Iron Dread, Dreadscar, Dreadguy, Dread & Bones, Dread or Dead and Dared applauded.  
Aeddr, Dread X, Mr. Dreadful and Weapon Dread whooped.  
Lady Dread and Mildread squee at the sight.

Vixen pulled away as Marco blinked confused but completely aroused, she smiled when he tried to speak, but she cut him off.  
 _"Shhh~ did you unshackle yourself yet?"_ she asked kindly.  
"…no, but I'm close. Listen, Vixen, when you died…that laughter, I didn't—"  
 _"It doesn't matter. I know you wouldn't be so cruel. What I care about now is that you're alive, safe and happy."_

Marco looked at his Warband, Vixen and Studmuffin.

"Aren't…aren't you angry with me?"  
 _"Hmph, what for?"_ the merc questioned.  
 _"Not really. Although we do want to apologize for dying without your permission."_ Dared spoke up, the Dread Squad nodding.  
 _"Whatever for?"_ Vixen asked.  
"For lying to you. For getting you killed. For letting you die." He said to the Warband, to Vixen and to Studmuffin.

All of them looked at each other before they all yelled at him in unison,  
 _"YOU ARE FORGIVEN, (BOY)(MARCO)(STUDMUFFIN)!"_

Marco just stared at them, confused and shock.  
 _"You carry that burden of guilt because you believe you need to be punished to be absolved."  
"You yearn to be forgiven, but first Marco, you must learn to forgive yourself."  
"Forgiveness…you already have it, Marco, from all of us. We do not blame you for what befell us. So walk with head held high, don't dwell on bitter memories…we weren't that to you and likewise us. Do what you have to do; and live."_

Marco looked at their smiling faces minus StudMuffin who merely smirked and turned away, a smile spread across Marco's own to match, tears forming.

"…thank you."

/And that's all you get, Marco./

The Soul Concept gave a gesture and they slowly began to fade, Marco reached out to them but they merely waved to him, Vixen blew him a kiss before he was alone with the Concept.

"…"  
/You seem upset./  
"…I'm not. I just wished…they could have stayed a bit longer…" Marco whispered.  
/You'll see them again. Eventually. Now let's get the second part of your test started./

Marco hopped back as Warco and Ocram materialized in the plane of existence, the Dark Knight glowered at them.

/Defeat them. Or they will consume you and forever be dominant for the end of your days./  
"…you're cruel."  
/No. I am fair. Now you have something to fight for, something you truly believe in. You were unfocused coming here, now you are determined. You know what must be done, you know what is at stake./

Marco faced off with his doppelgangers.  
"…I know."  
 **"Ah, if it isn't Marco Diaz!"**  
 _"You will not be victorious."_

"Get back in your cages."

.

/Congratulations, Marco! You got so many Elementals and Concepts under your sway! Not bad~/  
"It's crazy…there are Elementals and Concepts here I never even heard of…"  
/…mhmm, yes, I suppose. There were a lot more of us in the past…but that's a story for another time, so let's go—!/  
 _[Not so fast! Where do you think you're going!?]_

The Concepts and Elementals stood behind Marco as the Light and Dark Elemental marched forward looking upset and grim respectively.

/We were just going out to get some milk./ Chronos said cheekily but the Light Elemental glared at her.

 _[None of you are leaving Prima.]_

 _He beat your test! He is worthy!  
[I don't care. You all will stay put.]  
_ ** _[Sister…perhaps if I go with them, they'll stay out of trouble.]_**

The Light Elemental looked at her sister for a moment, draped in black wings that obscured most of her features except for her meek dark eyes, _[You would betray me too?]  
_ /O—kay, I see where this is going. Sister: would you like to follow us too?/

The Elemental looked indignant at the words, Chronos smiled as she moved closer,  
/Are you…jealous that we're gonna leave Prima? Or maybe…you're jealous of something else?/  
 _[…]_

Marco watched the exchange for a moment, he felt a warm hand clasp to his, he didn't bother looking he could tell who it was already.  
"Don't worry Ignis."  
 _…this is Jewel._  
"…oh. My mistake." Marco glanced at the small girl that was the Crystal Elemental.

 _[…will you leave even if I forbid it.]_  
/Yesss~/  
 _[Very well. Then I shall kill Marco.]_

/!/ **_[!]_** "!?"

Marco leapt forward as light slammed from above, the Elemental glowed and blitz Marco and slammed him into the ground, she held him down even as the Traitor's Sword appeared.

 _[You will not take my sisters, boy.]_  
"I did what you asked. Do not go back on your word, Seraph!"  
 _[…what did you call me!]_

Marco felt her hand on his throat, choking him,  
"That's…your…name…!"  
 _[I HAVE A NAME ALREADY I'M…I'M…WHAT DOES SERAPH MEAN?]_  
"…it pertains to the heavens…angelic…"  
 _[Oh. So flattery.]_

Marco gasped as she squeezed harder, feeling tears prick her eyes, memories flooding her. In his last moments, Marco managed to get a good look at her, the brief eye contact caused her to flinch and she let go off him and stood up, feeling suddenly unclean. She looked around and held back a surprise: her sisters were inches away from prying her off, their faces almost feral…Primal.

 _[…fine. Go with him.]_

The sisters didn't relax, she sighed before she grabbed the Dark Elemental and pulled her along.

 _[All of you will be a handful to handle, you'll be coming along to help me.]_ ** _[I am?]_**

"That's…great news…Seraph."

She frowned seeing Marco being helped up, he rubbed neck before Seraph walked forward and healed him despite his wary face.

"Um, thank you."  
 _[…]_

Noting the silence from Seraph, Marco turned to the Dark Elemental,  
"Ah, right you're coming along now yeah? Hmmm what to call you…"  
 ** _[Something nice. Please?]_**

Marco looked between the two Elemental  
"You're like Seraph's twin sister right? Light and Dark?"  
 ** _[In a way.]  
_** "Okay, then you'll be Hallow."

The Dark Elemental blushed as the Elementals and Concepts gave their cheers and pulled all of them into a hug.

 _So where are we going, Marco?_  
"Well, you've been so kind showing me around Prima, I want to return the favor. I want to show you my home: Earth."

* * *

 **[Kelly's Parents Arc]**

* * *

The next time Marco landed in Kelly's room he was greeted to the sight of Kelly looking nervous with a tall woman reminiscent to Kelly and a short but stout man next to her.  
He assumed they were her parents.

And so the Dark Knight of Mewni found himself sitting awkwardly in the living room with the two and Kelly.  
Afternoon tea already premade for his arrival.  
Along with the patented parent analyzing glances from the two, the mother more subtle than the father.

Marco just sat there as the parents and Kelly let the awkward silence reign supreme.  
They didn't even touch the tea.

Marco looked at Kelly and she looked away, embarrassed and unsure what to say to him.  
He looked at the other two before awkwardly extending out a hand to the nearest of the two: Kelly's father.

"…so, you're Kelly's father—" Marco started, however he kept his arms crossed at the gesture.  
"That's Mister-Kelly's-father-Harold to you, punk." Harold said with some force at the end, his eyes hard on Marco.

Marco froze.  
Kelly covered her face with her hands.

"…excuse my husband, dear. I'm Ruth, Kelly's mother."  
"That's Missus-Harold's-wife-Kelly's-mother-Ruth to you, buster."

Ruth reminded Marco of a willow tree: thin, tall and all graceful.  
Harold may have been short but he was like the trunk of an oak tree: strong and thick.

Kelly even more embarrassed hid her face with some of her bushy green hair, Marco blinked twice before retracting his outstretched hand,

"…right."  
"I am right."

Harold eyed Marco, while Ruth shot her husband a side-glance, obviously this was not what she wanted.

"So, Marco…you've been visiting my daughter." "OUR daughter." Harold chimed.  
"…yes, Harold: daughter, I thought that would be clear." Ruth looked annoyed for a moment before looking back to Marco, "Why have you never thought to see us? We wouldn't spurn your visit nor be bad hosts whilst you visit." Ruth said kindly.

Marco fidgeted uncomfortably; despite the kind words he knew the intent:  
WHY ARE YOU HIDING FROM US? WE JUST WANT TO SEE YOU AND PASSIVELY INTERROGATE YOU.

"Er, Mom, Marco he, well, I'm his confidant!" Kelly blurted out.

Harold looked at him,  
"What are your intentions with my—our daughter."

Marco turned red at the words Harold implied while Ruth resisted the urge to roll her eyes before addressing him properly,  
"Ignore that question, I know you wouldn't do anything—untoward. But why does he need one for, Kelly? He's so young, what problems could weigh on his mind? Girl trouble?" Ruth asked curiously.

"Can't get it up?" Harold said not so subtly.

Marco frowned.  
This was getting bothersome, so he spoke up with deliberate conviction,

"Running from the law."  
Kelly looked at him alarmed, he stated numerous times wanted to keep things low-key but now he wanted to flaunt it all over her parent's faces!?

Ruth blinked.  
Harold laughed, "Ooh~ edgy. Careful kid you could cut yourself with that much—"

"You might have heard: I raise some hell in Mewni recently. I am Marco Diaz, Mewni's Dark Knight." Marco said quietly.

"…huh."  
"…you're…Mewni's newest Dark Knight?"  
"Yes."

"Is that still a knightly status on Mewni." Harold asked.  
"...yes?"  
"Hmmm..."  
"Marco! You said—!"

"Kelly!"  
"Yes!?" she answered, her head spinning at the conversation.

Harold got to his feet as did Marco, the latter peering down on him as Ruth stood up too, supporting herself on her husband. Harold looked at Marco much more intensely, as if trying to decipher if he was truly as bad as the media had portrayed.

"…I approve of your boyfriend. A knight is a good first choice. A respectable profession and he is _almost_ as good looking as me."  
"Ooh, Kelly~ You really hit it out of the park with this one!"

"…wat?" Kelly barely formed the word.  
"Huh?"

The two parents grinned and shrugged at their shock faces.

"We don't believe squat on the newspaper and social media as much anymore, most of the time they blow things out of proportion."  
"I've been to Mewni many times before, it's been in a sad state for a while now, Marco sounds like a very convenient target for their governing woes. We're good judges of characters or we like to be, you don't strike us as someone who would 'terrorize' Mewni, maybe do something juvenile but nothing beyond that."

Marco was taken back how accepting they were over who he was.

"…but...but I did do those things: fighting and stuff."  
"But you throw the first punch?"  
"No?"

Harold and Ruth gave him a knowing look,  
"Can't really blame you for defending yourself, can we?"  
"Sounded really fishy when the news came in, all sorts of baloney. Did you really grow to be 5 stories tall?"

Marco shook his head, his faced marred with disbelief at the tall tales the media spewed.

Harold smiled for the first time since Marco met him and clapped him in the back,  
"You can tell me that escapade later! So tell me: how did you meet our daughter, Marc? Can I call you, Marc? Nah, you probably prefer son instead. No need to be so formal."

Ruth hugged her stunned daughter,  
"Ooh~ Kelly, I much prefer him to your last one. Always hiding on your bald spot—" "MOM!" Kelly said in hush tones, alarmed.

"…what do you mean 'last one'? Kelly: this is the first guy you brought home." Harold questioned.  
Ruth, Kelly and Marco collectively sweatdrop.

"Er, Dad, I had a boyfriend before…Tad." Kelly said meekly.  
"Tad? The pizza delivery guy?" Harold said confused.  
"…yeah?"  
"Huh. Excuse for a moment." Harold walked to the other room, Ruth quickly ran to the room as the sound of a shotgun was being pumped. Marco and Kelly looked at each other as their voices pervaded to the room,

"—honey, I just want to talk to him."  
"Then put the gun away!"  
"…it's a conversational piece."  
"Fine! Just take out the shells."  
"…no. I need to show him it works."  
"HAROLD!"

After a bit more arguing Ruth and Harold came back into the room, Kelly looking even more nervous as her father eyed her,  
"…so Tad huh."  
"…yes."

Harold sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose,  
"I wish you told me you had a boyfriend, Kelly. Sure, I would have overreacted but I'm still your father, I do it because I look out for you."

Kelly looked embarrassed for a moment before she walked over and hugged her dad,  
"Thanks for understanding, Dad."  
"No problem sweetie."

Whilst Kelly wasn't looking Harold mouthed to Marco,  
 _'Where the fuck does this Tad lives? I want to talk to him, by which I mean—'  
'Marco if you know: do not tell him. His last bail was ridiculous.'_

Marco stared at Ruth's mothing as well before she elbowed her husband and Kelly hopped back in surprise.

"Dad?"  
"It's nothing—oh, by the way, you're grounded." He rubbed his arm while Kelly froze then pouted.

"So, Marco, how long have you been seeing my Kelly?" Ruth asked, Marco looked sideways nervously.

"About 2 years…"  
"Ah. That's a lot of time to know each other." Ruth said happily.  
"But…but not like that, I come to her when things are on my mind. Not as a boyfriend! We're…not that."

The two nodded: they were taking it nice and slow. Good choice. Smart choice.  
"But you're dating."  
"…er, no, no we're not."  
"…huh."

The two leaned forward,  
"Not fu—?"  
"Ah. No." Marco quickly shot it down.  
"Dad!"

 ** _God, I wish that was true. You do not know how stale it is to listen to Marco jerk his cock to his ex, his best friend, his best friend's mom, his old flame, his—  
_** _"I HAVE NEVER DONE THAT."  
_ ** _Fine. You never jerk it off to Queen Moon or Eclipsa or Kelly. Happy?  
_** _"I'm forbidding Musica from seeing you."  
_ ** _And I thought you couldn't be a bigger asshole, Marco._**

"Why not? Kelly beating you with her claymore skills? She's not pre—" Harold started hotly, but Marco immediately responded.  
"It's not a question of Kelly's skill or beauty! I'm…I'm tangled in so much shite that…if I'm in a relationship…it'll end in heartbreak. I won't do that to anyone…especially Kelly. I won't. Oh, excuse my language."

Kelly cast Marco a sad look, Ruth and Harold looked at each other, the latter scratching his chin,  
"Alright, I see that…there's some things to be worked out. But treat her right, you hear me?"  
"Yes…I will."

Harold was reasonably deflated at the news, Ruth looked at him for a moment before speaking,

"And when you straighten your affairs, Marco I hope you can give a proper answer." Marco nodded catching her meaning.  
"I understand."

"Good. Good. How big was he, Kelly?"  
"Oh, about—MOM!"  
"I'm hung, Marc."  
"DAD!"

 **[Introducing Kelly to the Diaz Household]**

"Mom, Dad, this Kelly—"  
"Oh, _mi hijo_ we were wondering when you'll bring a girl home." "Pretty too."  
"!?"

Kelly blushed.  
Marco stuttered to rectify the misunderstanding.

"When is she moving in~?" Angie teased, Rafael held back his laughter.  
"MOM!"

* * *

 **[Post Eclipsa Arc]**

* * *

After his battle with Eclipsa and Meteora, Marco kept a closer eye on the two Butterfly, making sure they wouldn't overstep their boundaries and ensuring their kingdom was well hidden from sight and stumble upon by accident. Meaning he had to be more and more involved with everything in the kingdom, finding out the lack of knowledge from the both of them, despite Meteora's long life and Eclipsa's upbringing there were massive gaps in their combine know-how. Marco even found century old books they were using, many of which were being used in Mewni's current government and were pathetically getting by.

So Marco deep down and got busy...

Marco helped with planning out the kingdom's layout, defensible locations and plans, how to acquire resources and secure trading treaties, produce and maintain agricultural assets for the foreseeable future and proper economy building and health, proper education and expansion procedure, annexing laws as well as civil offices and a maintaining a standing force be it a militia or proper army.

Eclipsa marveled how much Marco knew for one so young.  
He kept the fact the knowledge came from his merc career, running Sinful Sips and a majority from Ocram, his alter ego of cold logic.

Seeing her kingdom on its way to a thriving future, Eclipsa and Meteora (somewhat) welcomed Marco's visits and insisted he stayed for longer periods of time. Not only loving what he contributed but to have someone who shared their estranged fate, although Eclipsa being the reason for Marco's Departure from Mewni's good graces.

And in time Marco, Eclipsa and Meteora became comfortable in each other's presence.  
Kind of like when you're with your close friends and the weird part of your surface and you don't care at all.

.

Marco stared at Eclipsa, she smiled at him invitingly, Meteora glared at him,  
"Well, don't be rude and gawk Princess Marco."  
"But—"  
"Hush, Marco, just give it a taste."

Marco looked at the two helplessly,  
"Look, I can't just eat the beaver—"  
"Princess Marco, my Mother's beaver is delicious! Do not be rude."  
"Stop saying that!"  
"But it's true!" Meteora remarked harshly, "Why I've tasted it so many times since our reunion!"  
"STAHP!"  
"Marco, my beaver is delicious," Eclipsa said firmly, "See how pink and juicy it is? If mine is so bad have Meteora's beaver instead."  
"Mother…mine is not as good as yours."  
"Psh, child, yours has a, er, flair to it."

Marco put his head to the dinner table.  
"I should have had dinner back home."

The two Butterflys looked at him before shrugging, chewing on their dinner that Marco had refused.

"Hmph, suit yourself."  
"More for us then~! Oh, Marco, if you're appetite is spoiled just have some dessert: creampie!"

Marco groaned.

.

"Marco, it's hot and gooey! It's so thick it sticks to my throat when I swallow—"  
"That was funny the first time! No more innuendo eating with my Nachos!"

.

"Mother, I—!? MOTHER!? PRINCESS MARCO!? WHAT IS GOING ON HERE!?"

Meteora stared horrified as Eclipsa was on her knees before Marco, his sword resting on her shoulder, Eclipsa sighed as she pulled her dress blouse up covering her shoulders.

"Marco was just putting his collar on me."  
"Don't call it that." Marco sighed as the golden runes flashed on the Queen's neck.  
"But you put it around my neck."  
"As a precaution, Eclipsa. And it was your idea!"

Meteora looked ready to blow a gasket, "Mother, why were on your knees?! Princess Marco, why was my mother on her knees!?"

Marco sighed, "It wasn't necessary. But she did anyways."  
"It's about perspective dear~"  
"I'm about to give him the perspective from a grave!"

.

"Where are you taking me, Marco?"  
"To Earth, you need to see a dentist."  
"My teeth are fine!"  
Marco gave her a smoldering look, "Last night I was kept up from all your moaning and bellyaching of a tooth ache."  
"…what if I was moaning about something else."  
"What would you moan about? And if you say 'Snooker Bar Man', I'm taking all those vending machines away."

 **[Later]**

"Sir, she's…well, she bit me."  
"Eclipsa!"

Marco marched himself into the room again as Eclipsa looked at the dentist implements forebodingly.

"He was sticking something phallic in my mouth!"  
"…oh my god."  
"Sir, maybe she'll be more…comfortable if you were present."  
"Yes, I would. Hold my hand, Marco."  
"You're too old for hand holding."  
"Fine, maybe you'll be more willing if I let you hold my tit then."  
"…I'll hold your hand."

.

"Eclipsa? Eclipsa!" Marco called out as he looked for the Queen of Darkness, he followed a trail of Snooker Bar wrappers until he spotted her in a park. Two guys speaking to her.

"Wow, I can't believe you're a grandmother! You must be joking!" "Not bad, not bad at all~"  
"No, I'm very much telling the truth."  
"Eclipsa, there you are!" Marco called out, the queen turned back and waved to him.  
"Who that."  
"My chaperone." She replied brightly.  
The two looked at each other before whipping out a card and handing it to her before they stalked away.

Marco narrowed his eyes and came closer to the queen who eagerly met him halfway.

"Marco look! I got invited to so many parties!" Eclipsa excitedly held out business cards, Marco took one and balked at the names.  
"No. Nope. You are not going to these."  
"What!? Why not?"

Marco frowned and read some of the cards,  
"[Bleepinsertpornsiteherebleep], I know I put my foot down a lot, but I'm really putting my foot down on this."  
"What so bad about [Bleepinsertsecondarypornsiteherebleep]? They said they would pay for my admission and reward me…a bag of candy bars! A whole bag, Marco!"  
"You just came from the dentist! And no." Marco snatched all the cards even as Eclipsa complained, "You won't be going."  
"Wha—why not?! Tell me one good reason why I shouldn't go at all!" Eclipsa stamped her foot.

Marco sighed and whispered it in ear.  
Eclipsa gasped.  
And slapped him.

"Marco Diaz, I am not that sort of Queen!"  
"Then you oughta slap those two next time! And not me!"

* * *

"Marco! Marco wake up!"

The Dark Knight gasped as Eclipsa and Meteora stared at him from his bedside, he sat up, drenched in sweat, his damp blanket wrapped on him like a python.

"…why...?"  
"You were yelling in your sleep…"  
"It woke us up. We thought we were under attack or something."

The two looked at him with concern as he wiped his face, trying to mask his embarrassment with exhaustion but it didn't fool Eclipsa.

"Are you gonna tell us why—"  
"No."  
"Ugh. I'm going to bed. Next time you think of screaming Princess Marco in the middle of the night, have some courtesy and gag yourself." Meteora then stormed off, Eclipsa gave her daughter a glance before looking back at Marco, who mumbled an apology.

"…it might be better if I just head home."  
"No, causing your parents to worry wont help your plight."  
"The fact I'm spending the night here makes them worry. I really should get back."

Eclipsa hummed at the words, "Do you tell them what you're up to?" "…not particularly." "Then they worry regardless you say anything or not. C'mon boy, what's on your mind? What made you cry?"

Marco looked guarded for a moment,  
"I already have a confidant. I don't have to tell you jack."  
"…was it Star."  
"No."  
"Oho! Then what could possibly make the great Marco Diaz cry like a child?"

Marco looked snubbed for a moment, Eclipsa sighed,  
"It was Star, because it is always Star. I don't need mind reading to know that."  
"…yeah, it was Star."  
"Mhmmm, what could she have done to you, boy?" Eclipsa said without much thought.

Marco touched his scar, "Gave me a very _permanent_ present."  
Eclipsa's smug self-serving smile fell.

"My word…I'm sorry, Marco, I didn't mean it like that."  
"It's fine. The damn dream was just…vivid. I'm over it." A flash of pain crossed his eyes.  
"Now Marco, there's not need to put up a brave front for me, you can tell me how you really feel."

Marco turned to Eclipsa, his face etched with anger,  
"How I feel? How I _really_ feel? What I feel Eclipsa…is that Star cost me so much this past 2 years…from the spilling blood to losing close friends…Star has cost me near damn EVERYTHING in my life."

"..." Eclipsa was stunned at the break in his character.  
"And to top it all off I have to bar this flow of oppressive emotions from going to her? To bottle it up? The—!"

Eclipsa slapped him.  
She trembled when Marco didn't even registered the hit and just continued to rant until he ran his soul dry from how he felt, how he truly felt about Star. His bitterness, his anger, his sadness, his guilt and desire for it to end drove him forward, he was nothing like the boy she had seen before.

"...and that Eclipsa is how I feel."  
"I won't deny what Star did to you wasn't terrible but you can't believe—"  
"But she is—!"

Eclipsa slapped him again.  
Terrified, when Marco merely crinkle his nose.

"What you are insisting is a lazy and weak argument Marco and you know it! We've been over this before."  
"And what she did to me is nothing!?"

Eclipsa gave him a withering look,  
"You already know the answer, boy...so seeing her in pain like you have would make you feel better?"  
"Yes, it would." Marco spat.  
Eclipsa narrowed her eyes at the words.

She leaned closer, her eyes meeting his,  
"I won't deny you're no saint, Marco: there's plenty of blood on your hands, but in the very least you'd be different. Noble sacrifices...but you're just like them, just like the Mewmans who imprisoned me and after 300 years."  
"You make it out as if those who were wronged shouldn't be feel as if they aren't justified to their anger and pain."

Eclipsa forced herself calm at the notion and quietly whispered,

"Is that what you believe then? How about me, Marco? Was I not wronged too? I want justice for my 'injustice' and you stamp me out just as ruthlessly as I would them. I waited 300 years and lo and behold, you came crashing down to stop me. I felt the same as you: cornered and isolated, no one to turn to. I had the means to retaliate but then what? I would just fuel the fires that drive them to hate and fear me even more. Ultimately, they would unite and destroy me."

Marco opened his mouth to retort but this time Eclipsa stopped him.  
"I know what's really eating at you: 'It's not right for them to get away with it.'  
That's what you tell yourself, but you don't exact vengeance because you'll be herald as the villain instead. You only want the ones responsible to suffer but you can't stop the chain reaction of their punishment will incur, in the end you will make more suffer because of it, the innocent that had no business with what happened to you nor them. And you won't take the dark path because you know yourself: you won't do it. So now you're just angry with yourself...

Now you must compromise your vengeance. And just makes your blood boil...even after all they had done to you, you have to be the better person, above your base emotions...

Compromise is difficult. Moving on is difficult, Marco. Because sometimes you have to let wrongdoings go when it is done to you. And I understand it all too well. I'm doing it even now. My husband is dead. My daughter's birthright stolen from her. You caging me from my rightful throne. But I allow it…because it's better than the alternative: you would destroy me and Meteora the moment you felt we would be a threat to the ones who hurt you. This 'plan' you intend for Mewni...that's your vengeance...if it works then you effectively made those ineffectual leaders look competent, but on the flip-side, if they fail: they all die. Mewni burns to the ground."

Marco sat there, looking at Eclipsa, not yet ready to speak in his defense.  
The queen sighed and shook her head,

"What you feel is justified, what Star made you sacrifice is justified, what she is going through is paltry to what you had to give up in return…is there anymore to it, Marco?"  
"..."

"Look Marco, I shouldn't be the one lecturing you or anyone for that matter, let's just go to bed. It's late and I'm tired."  
"Fine. I'll just figure this shit out myself." Marco finally spoke up.  
"…that's more than anyone could ask for from you, Marco. Now, I'll be sleeping with you."

Marco did a double-take as Eclipsa slid into the bed, he scoot away, she frowned, "Marco, I don't want to walk all the way here from my bedchambers and check up you again when you start crying again. Now get over here and sleep with me."  
"Was this your intention all along?"  
"If I say 'no' will it get you under the blanket faster? C'mon let's just go to sleep, I hate for the both of us to go to bed angry."

Marco scooted to the other side of the bed only for the Queen to sigh, "I want some of the blanket too you know."  
"Tough luck, this is my bed."  
"This is my castle."  
Marco grunted but Eclipsa grabbed a handful and yanked herself some only for Marco to resist and pull back.

Eclipsa yelped as she rolled and found herself being spooned by Marco.

"…"  
"…I'm going to sleep now."  
"NO."  
"Marco. This is my favorite sleeping position."

Eclipsa purred and cuddle closer but Marco scooted further away ready to fall off the bed, the Queen sighed and turned to him,  
"Now Marco, you're hurting my feelings; am I that hideous?"  
 ** _Marco, if you run away now you will forever be a lil bitch! And I will NEVER let you live this down!_**

"You're married."  
"I'm widowed. Thanks for reminding me." Eclipsa sighed as she slumped into the mattress, "I used to cuddle with my lover like this…now that he's gone it has been quite lonely."  
 ** _Look at that Marco. Do you want to be responsible for a crying GMILF right now? LOOK AT THAT BACK ARCH!_**

"…why don't you cuddle up with your daughter." **_Oh for fuck's sake, Marco!  
_** "I prefer to be nestle in the arms of a man."  
"Well, you're out of luck: I'm still a boy."  
"Nuh-uh, you're 30 something. You're anything but a boy." Eclipsa sighed, "Marco, I'm really fed up with all this excuses, when was the last time you had a beautiful woman in your arms? Or even had fun? You're so serious sometimes."  
"I…well…fine, I haven't, I've been busy." **_Yeah…too busy to get busy…_** _"You're the main reason why I can't have relations asshole!"_ ** _So what if you have to merc the girl afterwards? You got your nut._** _"You're a sick fuck, you know that."_

Marco scooted back into bed and Eclipsa immediately snuggled up, taking his arm and tucking it against her, "Ahhh, this is such a nostalgic feeling…I like 'em tall…and strong…it makes me feel safe…" the Queen purred and was snoring in seconds.

Marco held back a sigh, he could hear the dim ticking of a clock down the hall and other ambient night sounds, it was eerily peaceful in a kingdom full of Monsters, Mewmans and those crazy enough to flock underneath Eclipsa's banner...

Marco glance down at the slumbering Queen, she mumbled in her sleep, completely innocently,  
"...mhmmm sodomize me with your monster cock~"  
"O-kay, I'm going home."

* * *

 **[Present]**

* * *

Marco groaned as the memories fled him as the pain of slamming on a cafe replaced all his feel-good-feelings he just had. With eyes still shut he could hear the effect his explosive entrance had on the occupants of the cafe.

"Whoa!"  
"HEY!"  
"Gosh—Muscles?!"  
"Cold!"

"Whoa…is _that_ on the menu?" "No. No it's not."

Marco was spread eagle on the table as Kelly, Jackie, Janna and Heckapoo stared at the return of the topic of conversation.

"MARCO!?" [4x]  
"Ughhh…reporting for duty…" Marco groaned as the girls helped him off, he rubbed the back of his head before noticing the girls drenched in water and their drink. He could make out the outlines before he heard a very distinct disgruntled grunt: the waitress had returned.

"THE BILL."

Marco tentatively looked at it and saw more digits than he initially remembered.  
"This is robbery…" he muttered before he fished out $650 and handed it to the waitress.

That settled, Marco turned and face the girls, registering that Hekapoo was part of the posse now, he tensed when she faced him but in doing so he could see she looked as if she had been in a brawl: hair disheveled, bruises on her pale alabaster skin, a general aura of being worn out and a horn missing.

"Hekapoo…what are you doing here?"  
"…well hello to you too, Muscles." Hekapoo said gruffly as she nabbed herself with a napkin, Jackie and Janna up-down glance the wet MHS member while Kelly looked ready to step in if things escalated.

"…you're hurt, what happened to you?"  
"Thanks for noticing, where have you been." Hekapoo said irritated.

"I…don't remember."  
"…really? You left and came back for shits and giggles."  
"I felt compelled to leave but I'm back now…why are you here?" Marco rubbed a sore spot.

Hekapoo looked ready to argue but she figured it was too much trouble; she slumped on a nearby seat, looking even more tired, "Marco…Mewni is in some deep shit."

Kelly looked perplexed, "I was just there this morning, nothing out of the ordinary, just riled up Mewmans and Monsters."

"Pfft, yeah, 6 months ago, maybe…" Hekapoo shook her head dispassionately, Kelly and Marco froze at the news.

"Hekapoo…how long has it been since I left Mewni?"

A shadow crossed Hekapoo's face,

"A year has passed in Mewni since you left…and I spent the last 3 months in captivity."

"A year!? Kelly was just—captivity?"

"Look, I don't care why time is fucked Marco! All I know is that Mewni is up to their eyes in shit! Some bastard took me prisoner…I don't want to talk about it."

Marco's head whirled from the information dump, Kelly looked worried while Jackie and Janna just stood there, unsure to make of the situation.

"…what's wrong with Mewni? I thought they hammered out their differences, I'm not anymore. Fuck, you guys were cheering when I left."

Hekapoo sighed and bitterly shook her head,  
"Marco, Mewni is at war. Civil War."

 **XxXxXxXxX**

* * *

Whew.  
That's it, back to basics with this fanfic: violence, politics and violent politics.

So Mewni is permanently 1 year advance from Earth meaning Star will be 18.  
Marco was only gone for about 8 minutes from him cutting his portal to Hestia and him landing back on the table. Also, the moment he left for Hestia's timeline; time stabilized for Mewni since he fixed the time anomaly. Like I stated many times: Time is Weird.

 **Songs in order of appearance:**  
Migos – Bad and Boujee ft Lil Uzi Vert  
Michael Jackson – Smooth Criminal  
Trinidad James – Just a Lil' Thick (She Juicy) ft Mystikal, Lil Dicky  
Black Eyed Peas – Shut Up  
Linkin Park – Crawling  
Drowning Pool – Bodies  
Breaking Benjamin – I Will Not Bow  
Luis Fonsi – Despacito ft Daddy Yankee

This also marks the End of **Phase 2** of my fanfic the set-up to Civil War, now **Phase 3** it's all about the conflict in Mewni so kiss Earth characters good bye for a while. The past chapters had been too feel-good, so I have to use the immediate counter-balance: some violent-sad-sick-political chapters. I'm also gonna do less of these chapters and get back to the gritty ones, it was fun for a laugh and getting out of the serious mood but now I have to be serious if I want to finish this fic before– _things_ happen again.

Also good news: I'm in the process of getting my lemon ban repealed.

Next Chapter:  
 **A New Hope**

Backpfeifengesicht is the hint.

 **END OF TRANSMISSION**


	27. Chapter 26

.  
 **Disclaimer** : Star Wars references.

 **Chapter 26**

Mewni Unchained

 **XxXxXxXxX**

* * *

 **Month 1** XXXXX : A New Hope

* * *

I remembered…being was pulled out of a pool of blood.  
Strange beings washed me. Dried me. Talked in gibberish.

But almost immediately I understood, even if I didn't understand the meaning, I knew the tongue…  
They called me a 'success'.

I was frightened at first but their tenderness in their actions made me latch upon them, I happily latch and looked forward to them caring for me. They taught me words, taught me gestures, taught me manners, taught me everything I know.

Except one.  
They called her 'the Queen' and she looked at me with such intensity.  
I did not understand.  
At first.

She began to replace my caregivers, teaching me her ways, her morals, her desires, her dreams.  
Her fears. Her ambition. Her plans. Her **hope** …

Not once asked me in genuine concern if I was happy. Or address my well-being. Or loved me, the way I was first brought up by my initial caregivers.

She was more concerned with what she wanted.  
And after she saw what I could do…she wanted more.  
She craved more.

More…

Soon I only had her for company.  
Every lesson.  
Every meal.  
Everyday.

After my 'basic education' was done she had me undergo several rigorous training with new instructors, I was happy to see new faces but they only looked at me grimly and addressed me just the same. Teaching me how to use all sorts of 'weapons' especially the 'sword'.

I did not understand why but it felt natural…almost comforting…  
The Queen became more fanatical with my progress.  
I was becoming the 'Hope' she could only dream of.

I was glad when those lessons ended.  
I asked for my old caregivers.  
But she dismissed my pleas.  
She insisted that I had better things to do than be treated like a child.

Whenever I insisted she scolded me like one…  
The things she said…that look in her eye, I…I…

 _You're the pinnacle of our race! The apex Mewman! Special!_

 _No contest! No warrior alive, dead or future can match you! Not even—_

 _You will prove that we don't need outside protection!_

 _Epic poems and legends will talk of you for eternity!  
_  
 _Do you see these results! You've mastered it so quickly!_

 _You are Mewni's Hope!_

 _You're better than anyone else!_

 _You are the one and only!_  
…but why is there

Two of me now?

If I'm so great…why do you need two? That doesn't make sense…

Maybe…maybe the Queen thought I would be lonely?  
Maybe she did care!  
She's awfully cold, but…maybe now we can be a 'family'.  
She always mentions them and her 'kingdom' and 'Mewni'. Sometimes Butterfly, Pigeon and the like but not…happily.

Seeing the softness in her eye when she talked about her family, kingdom, Mewni…I wanted her to look at me like that, instead of _that_ look.

I asked her if I could be a part of her family.  
I worked so hard, I learned what she taught me, did what she wanted me to do, I could ask for that right?

Right?

The Queen stared at me for a long time.  
Then she sneered at my innocent request.

"As if you'd ever be part of my family."  
"…but why not?"

She gave me a hard look,

"Do as your told. Don't ask questions. You're a means to an end. Be grateful for that."  
"…if I do that…will I be—!" I grabbed on the hem of her dress, looking at her with earnest.

My hands faltered, it was that _look_ again she was giving me…  
"You will never be a part of my family."  
And wretch herself from me.

I stood there as the Queen turned her back to me and walked away.

I wasn't aware I was crying at all.

* * *

 **Month 2** XXXXX Awakens

* * *

My schooling continued.  
Along with the other one.

I dawdled, growing more and more discontent with it.  
Until a deeper and harsher emotion blossom within, scalding me: resentment.  
Affection Scorn; Hatred Born.  
I copied the look the Queen had, practicing with the pool of water or mirror…until I felt the same way I looked.

I grew to resent the lessons.  
The expectations and responsibilities.  
The hope foisted upon me.

I looked at the other one, realizing she was just like me…a means to an end.  
She didn't know the truth…she was blindly being led forward. Like I was before I knew…

Then a terrible thought struck me for a moment and it solidify my resolve: she was my replacement should I fail.  
My recent shortcomings had not gone unnoticed…the Queen…  
Could...could she do such a thing? Why? Was it my questions? My pleas? What did I do wrong?

What would happen to me? I shudder to think what the Queen would do…  
I looked around the room I was raised in…I realize it then: it was a prison.

I didn't want to be caged.  
It…didn't feel right.  
It wasn't right…

I would…escape. Yes…  
I would do anything to leave this wretched place.  
Anywhere was better…

And I would use her: as a means to an end…

I began to discreetly study my holdings: feeling the walls, learning I was underground, when shift rotated, when they were watching me, the duration of lessons, the time food came…the works.  
I learned the routine.

I got the other one to follow my bidding…told her she was my family.  
And just like me…she followed me without hesitation.  
Eager to be wanted. To be loved. I almost pitied her.

Almost.

The Queen liked her better than me.  
She shared her eyes after all.

I used her to find out the best place to break out, she was allowed to the floor above and I followed her footsteps on the ceiling. Double-checking with her, I knew the place to break out from…

Soon…

After filching spoons and her getting a paperweight, I told the other one to help me push a shelf and chip away at the ceiling at night, it was solid stone but the mortar was old and I exploited it.

It took many nights of chipping but finally I could feel the stone compromised…

By the time she caught on what I was doing and she insisted we stay.

I was furious! How could she not see that she could be so easily replaced!

But I knew she could undo my work if she babble, so I coaxed her to keep it a secret, to trust me…her family…her sister.

She looked ready to talk, but she nodded her head.  
So sweet…so innocent…how I wish we could have stayed like that…but the Queen ripped my eyes wide open. I knew my 'sister' couldn't keep her gob shut for long so the following night I decided to make a break for it.

Without my darling 'sister'.

I pushed the shelf fast, climbed and pushed the heavy stone; she was there seconds later looking at me furiously. I didn't care and pushed the stone up and crawled out, she followed me afterwards.

"You can't do this!"

"What do you want me to do?! Sit all smiling like nothing is wrong!? What have they been teaching you huh?! Ask yourself! What happens when you ask to follow them? To leave the Room? They do nothing, say nothing. The Queen does the same! They tell you to don't worry what's outside of the room…then why are we in there in the first place if there's nothing wrong!?"

She glared at me and I glared back.

"Go back to your room, sister."  
"I'm never going back. Not now. Not ever."

She grabbed the front of my dress and tried to force me back down the hole: back to my prison.

"Let go of me!"  
"No! We belong down there! Please!" she pleaded.

I slapped her.  
She looked at me, frighten.

"That's where you're wrong! The Queen said we are the Hope of Mewni! That we are so much better than everyone else! But why hide us? Why keep us in the dark? Why not bring us into Mewni so we can do exactly what she taught us?! She's been lying to us! We don't even know what we are or why Mewni need us! Why are we here, sister!?"

Our yelling garnered some reaction as the floors above us buzzed with activity. I wasn't the least bit concerned, knowing our prison was a secret only a few knew of us after all. My concern was my sister who turned a violent shade of red as she couldn't retort back.

"Go. Back."  
"NEVER."

Her hand darted forward but I was faster and I caught her arm, before sliding behind her holding her, "Naive little sister! You go back down! But I won't! Hope we don't cross paths again!"

"NO!"

She broke free and grabbed the rock slab and hurled it at me, I leapt over it as it smashed against the wall, cracking it.

She caught me in mid air and threw me against the hole and pushed me, I pushed back, blood rushing to my ears as I resisted! Argh! Strong! And foolish!

 _I wasn't going back! I would never go back! I would not die in a—_

She punched me in the back of the head.  
She…she wanted to stay? She wanted to be used?  
I thought she would at least understand our plight, she was—  
She punched me again.  
I snapped.

I spun away as she tried to punch me again and wrapped my arms around her torso, surprising her as I threw her as hard as I could into the ground knocking the wind out of her. I grabbed her again and threw her this time I could dimly tell her bones broke on impact, she cried out in pain but I could only see red. My heart was close to her pain, her desperation, her life.

I drove my fist into her scared crying apologizing face, breaking her cute nose to bits.

Again.

I broke her jaw. I punched her teeth in. She gurgled bloody words.

Again.

She was choking. I punched underneath her eye and it fell out. So much prettier than mine.

Again.

Her forehead split open. I punched harder even as dark blood spurted on my face.

Again.  
Again.  
Again.

Her head was just mush now. I looked at her, her body twitched and punched her again.

Before I realized in horror what I had done.

Then I threw up.

I looked at the half digested food mixed with bile and blood on the stone floor. This wasn't…what I wanted…one day I would have came back for her. My foolish little sister. I felt hot tears run down my face, I had only thought of her as a tool to escape but now with her gone…the guilt of not truly getting to know her…

I covered my face with the gore on my hands: I killed the only real family I had…

Now…I was alone on Mewni.

"…why? Why did I do this?!" I screamed in despair.  
But no one answered and I was left sobbing on the stone floor.

I raked my fingernails through my hair, my face, unable to express my grief coherently.  
I found myself sobbing again...wiping my mouth, smearing blood across my lips.

I tasted it.  
It was sweet.  
And innocent.

My sister…that was what she was…something I could never be anymore.  
Not after the Queen had done to me…would I taste vile in comparison?  
I numbly shook, my thoughts were erratic as I tried to think rationally of the befouled situation…and the consequence—

Then it struck me: no one outside of the Queen and her lackeys knew we existed.

…had the Queen made 'me' and my 'sister' before?  
…and if we didn't meet her expectations…what happened?  
I looked at the corpse before me…the answer was morbidly clear.

If we failed…the Queen could just pretend we didn't exist.  
Act as if we never—EXISTED!

The mere thought made me angry! I am alive! I would not disappear!  
…but my sister…no one would know her…

My vicious anger evaporated as abrupt grief swallowed me again. I closed my eyes remembering my sister for a moment, truly and desperately wanting to preserve the memory of her forever.  
 _I will live for the both of us…I will preserve you any way I can…_

I solemnly vowed before my eyes fell upon the body I had pulverized in blind zeal.

I looked at the bloody mush, my thoughts racing back to my vow:  
 _…any way I can._

With trembling hands, I shovel some into my mouth as strands of hair caught between my teeth, tasting the still warm chunky wet morsels, staining my gullet and feeling like a lump in my stomach. I felt tears run anew as I chewed and swallowed the meat, I felt…ashamed and unclean but I pushed down my guilt and bile and ate handful after handful.

I ate more, I even ate the bones, it cut the roof of my mouth and gums, but I broke it apart, crushing it with all my might, blood seep out of my lips.  
I ate…and ate…until I was done.

I sat there. In silent shock what I had done.  
But I didn't have time to lament.

I could hear them…they were coming…it was just a matter of time.

Thoughts of escape still lingered somewhere in my head, if I ran, they would hunt me down…  
I have to throw them off my trail, but how!?

I looked at the body, then to myself…we were identical except…except for the hair.  
Without hesitation, I yanked my hair out, I nearly tore my lip off as I pulled and pulled, lock after lock came bloody lose and I threw it around the body, blood dripped down my face and neck.

I looked at my handiwork before I began to demolish the wall, slamming it with the stone slab, over and over again. It didn't go unnoticed as the hundreds of footsteps rang in my ears; this time in my direction and I worked even faster, sweat covered my palms as I broke brick and mortar.

The shove my fingers into the cracks and pulled, skinning them and prying off my nails but I didn't care, I was so close! The doors, the many doors that hid me bang open and open, someone was yelling and the thundering footsteps stopped but the beating of my heart didn't; I clawed the wall tearing an opening just wide enough for

"WHAT IS GOING—OH MY SPIDERBITE! WHAT!? NOOOOO!"

Icy fear struck me.

I dived for the hole in the wall, the jagged rocks cut me but the Queen's screams gored me deeper, screams not for me or the dead one…her hope was gone. She looking at me now but I was long gone, leaving her with the body as I fled into Mewni, she screamed into the night…

"NEFON!"

* * *

 **Month 3** XXXXX : the Phantom Mewman

* * *

I ran and ran, the evening air whipping at my face and the tough dirt underneath my foot until I could no longer.  
I looked back and saw forest and before me was just as foreboding: strange lands stretching to the horizon.  
But I wouldn't go back—oh no…she—the Queen she…

I felt a sudden rush of heat from my chest melting away my icy fear, it bubbled and frothed the more I thought of her and until I ripped open my maw and bellowed into the night, full of repressed emotions! I roared until my throat was raw, freeing whatever this feeling was!

I never felt so liberated!

I was free!  
I could live my life! I could live…

An empty life…  
…I was free, but…now what?  
My sister was dead…I was alone now…

I looked around, not recognizing anything.  
So I walked to the lights in the distances…anywhere was better than here.

And like that I wandered through Mewni, drifting from one place to another like I was in a daze...I had formal schooling but in the real world Mewni, that came off as snobbish especially since my dress was dirty and stained in blood and my appearance didn't help either with a scalp all bloody.

I thought I was being polite despite my appearance! What did it matter if I looked the way I did? My intentions were good! But I guess I was wrong…especially when a Mewman trader sneered at me, damnable cur!

But I took it in stride, I didn't know the world as they did and so I learned the ways of the world from the people I saw in cities, towns and villages, but I only got hostility or ridicule there. I had better luck in the slums and alleyways: begging, scavenging and foraging what I could.  
I ate a bunch of berries and I defecated loudly afterwards.

Still, I got odd looks sometimes I was even chased when I got too close to a food stall…well no one was offering to feed me, even when I asked nicely, calling me a 'freeloader', 'layabout' and 'runaway' or such.

A group of hoodlums took an interest in me, telling me how 'pretty' I was after giving me a bandana to cover my scarred scalp. I could see the pox-marks, acne and sores on them while I was pristine on the face. I guess I didn't look 'dirty' to them; so I played along.

I hadn't had a decent meal in a while.  
And it was good too…until I passed out.

Imagine my surprise when I awoke with them tying me up and lifting my hem.  
The nerve! They were even more surprise when I broke free and beat them senseless. Licking the blood off my knuckles felt good.  
Real good...

"You eval glue eye bitch!" he shrieked, I blinked. I punched him again. And walked away, leaving the hoodlums in a pool of blood.  
I looked into one and I didn't recognize who stared back.

.

My sojourn across Mewni bore fruit in some unexpected ways, like how much resources was readily available in the form of books, everyone was more content with 'phones' and 'gadgets' and 'magick' so I found stockpiles of books no one cared for. I dragged them to my little hidey-hole filled with discarded and stolen knick-knacks, my prized possession a very polished piece of tin serving as a mirror. I spend nights reading them, devouring book stacks of every subject, the most interesting one were that of history of Mewni.

I couldn't be more shock when history book after history book from varying kingdoms had their own take on events and battles, common events; some taking credit others completely omitting them; as if they never happened.

I had my misgivings but I decided I didn't know enough.  
And didn't know the Monster's side of it.  
Especially when they showed up for nearly every battle no matter the book.

But even then I despaired…  
Monsters were so hostile, afraid or suspicious of me; it took forever before they allowed me to read their ancient tomes. Surprisingly, they used the same archaic runes that I was taught.

Their take on Mewni's history was incredibly cruel, bias and sad; cross matching dates and events…they swore up and down that they were innocent.  
The Mewmans swore they were defending.  
Mewmans. Monsters.  
Who was telling the truth? Who was lying? Who do I believe?

It was clear neither side had any desire to make amends. Make treaties. Make peace without bloodshed. Oh, they were terribly close so many times…so many times…but even their best efforts were always undone by some eerily convenient source.

I even observed some interaction across the land and it just looked as if history repeating itself: Mewmans lording over Monsters…Monsters raiding Mewman settlements…Mewmans dying…Monsters dying…swearing revenge…the wheel of suffering turning indefinitely…

It made me sick.

This is what the Queen intended for me?  
This is what I had to fix?  
To be sure I could fight the Monsters…  
But even Mewman fought Mewman over resources on Mewni.  
Would I fight them too?

Mewni…I racked my head for possible solutions, the Queen's words haunting me…her desire for what I was to be…it didn't want to think about it but I did…her 'programming' instilled in me…

But every solution would be abject failure…because Mewni…  
Was rotten to the core…

But instead of shouldering the blame that fell on their shoulders for both parties, they instead blamed the other, the situation or some other excuse.  
And most recently 'Marco Diaz'.

His name…it had an interesting effect on those I asked…sometimes they trembled…sometimes they look approvingly, once a Mewman girl turn beet red and left in quite the hurry…they were all different but in a way they all respected this 'Marco'.

Marco…  
 _No contest! No warrior alive, dead or future can match you! Not even [Marco]_

I nearly threw up.  
Marco? That's who the Queen raved about almost religiously!?

First, I despised him: he was the reason for my birth. My sister's death…  
Slowly, I overcome my angry and nearly berated myself for growing curious over him.  
I finally asked what happened to Marco and both Mewman and Monster all told me he left Mewni behind, he couldn't help the dimension so he turned his back to them.

Was he Mewni's Hope? Was I his _replacement_?  
I asked what he was and even then it was mixed.  
Inferior. Human.  
Traitor. Savior.  
Murderer. Defender.  
Dark Knight.

I was unbelievably frustrated with Mewni.  
Mewmans. Monsters.  
They were all the same…so many voices, so many hands guiding: all useless.  
I wanted to turn my back on them like Marco did…

But I was repulsed by the idea…  
It was like I was admitting defeat…  
Just like him…

And I wanted to be nothing like him…he admitted defeat and that made him inferior to me—

I caught myself, I shook my head at the thought!  
I hate what the Queen made me for…I hate it even now, her voice invading my thoughts…but I pitied Mewni. Despite what the Queen selfishly wanted from me after seeing Mewni firsthand, I felt innate that it was wrong to turn my back when I could help.

When they swam helplessly up to their eyes with their own filth.  
What they needed, what they desperately desired was hope…

And I…  
I would _selflessly_ be their shining HoPe…

I reviewed what I dug up anything of Marco's activities and found he tried to change Mewni but his fatal mistake was putting faith that the archaic stubborn royals would listen, the system that had already proven detrimental and obsolete. The Queen came to mind.

But I would not fall for the same pit trap…  
I would tear the system down…  
The survivors would experience every horror…every violation imaginable…and only then would they appreciate their lives and rebuild anew.

But to lead Mewni out of the shit pit they dug themselves…  
I glanced at myself: if I showed my face, the Queen would instantly recognize me and undermine my authority. If I wore a mask then Mewni would never warm up to me, a leader hidden behind a mask would always cast doubt, and only the most zealous would follow me.

No…I had to inspire hOpE like no other.

I glared at my reflection before I sighed, covering my face: it wasn't the kind that the masses would flock to…I wouldn't flock to it myself, it was heavy with pain and misery, my scarred scalp did me no favors either. If I looked like my sister then…

I put my hands down at the thought, if only…  
I looked at myself again and flinched, instead of my green eyes.

Bright blue eyes gleamed back, sparkling with innocence and determination: my sister's eyes.  
I touched my reflection with shaking hands, it was just like her's.

How?  
How did I have her eyes now?  
The only thing that came to mind was...devouring her.

I undid bandana and touched my scalp, covered in scabs, what little hair I did have only gave reason for others to mock me. I ran my hand over the sores, thinking about my departed sister, picturing her long hair…

Itchy.  
I ran my hand over my scalp again.  
Fuzzy.  
I looked at my reflection and sure enough, sprouts of brunette hair were pushing through, I felt myself giddy at the sight contrary to how fucked the situation would be otherwise: I could look like my deceased sister.

I thought hard on changing my face, and in rapt horror my face turn mucky, pox-marks and ugly scars marred it.  
I fell back in shock.

"Fuck, I'm ugly!"

Working some courage I looked at my reflection again and found the face familiar…it was the face of the hoodlum I beaten up days prior! But why did I have his face? I…I…oooh!

I licked my bloody knuckles after beating his meat to pulp…

I looked at my reflection focusing on myself and I watched as my flesh bend to my mental image; changing myself back…

I sat in my little hideout, gears began to turn in my head.  
How or why was I able to change appearance didn't matter.

What did was I could look like anyone…be anyone…  
With this I could change my appearance into someone that would be trustworthy in the eyes of Mewni!

My thoughts drift at the application of such a power...I mimicked Mewman no problem...I wonder if I could the same with Monsters?  
Unconsciously, I licked my lips at the thought...  
A strange hunger born.

I could manipulate the two races, guiding them to my masterful design.  
Just like how those history books twisted information, I could too…  
I could remake Mewni this way, where the royals and Marco failed miserably…

I looked at my reflection, an awarding winning smile gracing the polished mirror, my sister's blue eyes gleaming oh so brightly that my hollow green eyes could not match,  
"Good bye for now, Darcy…Hello Nefon the Informant~"

 **XxXxXxXxX**

* * *

And with that Darcy is born.

I know it's a tad confusing but to iterate Darcy is the Marco-clone and in some chapters prior, she was already causing a ruckus. Those were during the timeskip. I know, I am just all over the place with this fic.

Darcy might not seem like a handful right now, power-wise to the Great Dark Knight, but she does pack a wallop after 1 year of debauchery and depravity on Mewni. The following chapters will be Darcy focused plus what the Mewni inhabitants have been doing during Darcy's reign of terror.

Next Chapter:  
 **Darcy: Mewman Eater**

Ciao,  
I am NRG

 **END OF TRANSMISSION**


	28. Chapter 27

.  
 **Disclaimer** : more Star Wars references.

 **Chapter 27**

Darcy : Mewman Eater

 **XxXxXxXxX**

* * *

 **Month 4** The Return of Darcy  
[Chapter 15]

* * *

"Wah! Another one down!" I sighed happily; I flopped on the mattress, grinning to myself.

Another 'incident' solved by yours truly~

It was a stroke of luck attacking the caravan 3 times in a row at night under the guise of 3 unsavory Mewmans before rounding them up and handing them to the authorities after some tear-eyed Monsters and Mewmans begged for her help. After some very _humble_ bragging of her skills.

I smiled to myself, doing so many 'good' deeds definitely put me in the fast track of being liked by the local populace. It was slow but methodical work to be sure, growing a good reputation in some backwater place and slowly but surely spreading good tidings to all in a time of crisis~

And soon kingdoms took notice, even the recluse Waterfolk and Jagged Mountain saw the strategic value of a Mewman who could parley with stubborn Mewman settlements and bothersome Monsters. Oh, I definitely got the problems solved by negotiation and when that didn't work…bribery, threat and blackmail came to mind. Along with my ability to change appearance and keen intellect made me quite the force to be reckon with in the background~

But doing good deeds for pro bono didn't exactly line my pockets with gold, smiling as I go out of my way to make sure someone didn't go hungry…paying a debt here and there…oh how big my heart was for the people…

But I knew my good deeds would be well rewarded…especially when I infiltrated banks and depositories, lets just say I helped myself~ slyly redirecting coin and goods to fund some of my own coffers and personal interests.

Like the Monsters that were hostile to me.

I had to put much more effort to get them into my fold, but after drinking a handful of Monster blood from some 'donations' and growing a feature here and there, they took to me more kindly. Honestly, Mewmans and Monster are sooo alike: gullible…just look like them, talk like them and they would open their doors…and their hearts to be feasted upon~

The Monsters and their factions took to me quite well.  
Pro Monsters.  
Pro Mewman.  
Harmony. Co-existence.  
Segregation. Caste-system.  
I delightfully took a bite of each~

Except one.

Flaunting a red spade on fire with a chain in an X fashion.  
Talk about having no respect for themselves!  
But what they said intrigue me…Eclipsa the Queen of Darkness birth a hybrid Monster Mewman. Apparently, it was such a threat that her lover was killed, her imprisoned and the child left to die in some shit hole dimension.

I laughed at their attempt to recreate the child 'Meteora'.  
But mentally snarled that I wasn't an original idea…it seemed someone more sickening than the Queen existed long before my conception.

But for all their 'experiments' and 'results' their zeal was so earnest, so true, what can I say, I'm a sucker for optimistic idiots~  
And guarding a blood pit…a priceless relic…the same hole that birthed me…  
I WANTED IT.  
But they were too wary…too suspicious…I had to get into their good graces somehow.

So I threw some coin their way…make sure Monster and Mewman stayed away from their work…generally stop being an arse to them and they warmed up to me…somewhat, just enough so we weren't fighting. However, between that chore I was being the literal gift to Mewni, I visited the other kingdoms, in disguise I would whisper rumors here…instigate bad thoughts there…quietly promote 'Nefon the Informant' by graffiti or put a coin in a hungry hand in the kingdom telling them 'Nefon' sent them. Gotta rep that brand of mine~

Butterfly was prospers enough. Did hear a bit of yelling at the castle some nights ago.  
Pigeon was quiet. Except for the prince. And his legs going on for days~  
Jagged Mountain and Waterfolk gave me a grand tour.  
Johansen Clan tried to make sport of me. I didn't like it.  
Cloud was completely impossible for me unless I had some permit or such. Or flew. Maybe I could...  
Lucitor's one was short, I didn't mind though, I hate the heat. It melted my snow cone!

I studied the ones I visited the best I could.  
Dug up information on the ones I didn't get to visit thoroughly and gauging their strength, reach and anything else useful…

I avoided Spiderbite as long as I could…the place of my birth, but eventually it became too hard to ignore…I wanted to see the place again.  
So I could tear it apart in the most brutally efficient way possible. I wasted the best weeks of my life in the place…it deserved to be leveled…all for Nefon…

I spent one day in the kingdom and I nearly incited a riot.  
On the surface the kingdom looked like any other: traders came, farmers supplied goods, work was done, the land was patrolled, you know just kingdom doing cute kingdom things.

Then I saw the price of a loaf of cornbread.  
Compared to Butterfly Kingdom.  
Inflation, cost of shipment, cost of Mewni corn…I calculated it in my head and was aghast, I snuck into the accounting office and I left even more confused and distraught.  
This Kingdom was in dire straits.

I looked into things more deeply and I begun to see the near stark division of wealth, the weak infrastructure, the guards that did not share uniform they were hired mercenaries, the lack of refine education and other necessities and advancements that I had come to see as a standard in other kingdoms.

I didn't bother looking into the kingdom's corruption.  
It was too easy.  
And the spiders just fuckin' grossed me out, what was the strategic value of being bitten all the goddamn time!? To look fugly? I was starting to think it was!

Whatever; I looked for the place I broke out from and it wasn't hard, twice as many guards on a particularly blank set of wall. Freshly made. Freshly painted too. Might as well be a bull's-eye on it.

I watched the place, even foolishly gaining access to the castle and entering my prison once again. I shuddered inside of the suit of armor I stole and there I caught a glimpse of the Queen's latest pet.

I scarcely hoped that the Queen wouldn't be stupid enough to make another. My thoughts going back to that night…  
I guess I was wrong. That bitch.  
I looked on and what I saw made me sick…how in the world is she making them…?

I left the kingdom and headed into the woods, I needed to be focused and not let myself be swept up by my righteous but violent emotions and intentions. I was afraid when I fled, but this time…it would be different.

I gathered some devout followers, many of which despised the 'high and mighty' royals and I begun to tell my plan, stating that they had gold and such behind a vault, which I planned to plunder. Of course there wasn't any vault but I already arranged for a chest to be dug up and divvied amongst my loyal followers, they were young and had stars in their eyes looking up to me, I told them all sorts of bullshit like 'revolution' and 'changing history or fate' for them.

Whatever got them in the fold…I didn't care one bit.  
And that night…oh I revel it~

One firebomb catapulted from outside the kingdom right for the guard tower.  
Then the guards on the wall.  
Then the wall itself followed by a second one.

I alone ran into the castle leaving my minions to scurry the guards every which way.  
They didn't need to know what I really intended…

I broke through the flame covered wall, slashing open throats and bathing in the blood mist before bringing down the hammer on the floor Nefon died on. It made my blood boil it was scrubbed clean.

I came crashing down into the 'prison', I bulldoze the caretakers, somewhere in my mind I didn't have the heart to kill them. But if they put up any resistance…they died. I looked for that despicable thing and when I found it the dolt just stared at me as if questioning. Before it could cognitively piece together what was going on, if it was as smart as me anyways I threw a bag over his head and threw him over my shoulder, after a swift knock out chop. But not before the little shit punched me!

I took all my explosive satchels and threw it at the blood pit and any place where research was being done.

I climbed the stairs up and to the hole I blew open, to my chagrin one of my minions was there looking for me. I threw the thing on him and told him to flee into the woods, I found myself face first in the dirt when the satchels went off.

Shaking the ringing in my ears, I ran around the perimeter and scaled the wall and into a tower the Queen frequent, I bashed the lock clean off with my claws and saw it was a private study filled with papers. I looked around seeing my name all over the place, I leaf through what I assumed was a lab journal, no doubt it was just the Queen going on and on about her 'hope' and all the bullshit she tried—

Then I stopped.  
I felt bile rise up in me reading the entries.  
Just as fiercely as was my hate.

Nefon.  
My darling little sister…  
They grounded her down…dumped her pieces into that Blood Pit…and that…her corpse that— made that…that _thing_!

Sacrilege!  
Abomination!

I growled, I felt every vein grow taut all over my perfect body, my hair grew out rapidly before tore apart the study, smearing everything so it was worthless! The Queen! No…that monster desecrated my beloved sister!

I kicked open the window and I could see my followers dragging 'it' with them, I signaled for them and I watched as the last firebomb arced through the air, I leapt landing on the barrel before kicking off it as the barrel tumble into the study and exploded.

I spun over air and landed among the trees, gracefully swing from branch to branch and landing among my followers.

Even from the distance I could tell the Queen had finally come to see the mess I made.  
Even if she didn't know it was me.

We raced for the horizon, blending into the shadows, disappearing into the distance…

 _"We dreamt of creating Mewni's strongest Mewman…and we succeeded…"_

.

"Told you: you can trust me. My reports and sources are always good." I proclaimed, handing the bagged bastard to the Monster Faction, apparently they were the Crimson Children. Whatever, sounded so gaudy but I wasn't gonna tell them that!  
Not to their face anyways…

They marveled at the abomination.  
Even so…it reminded me of Nefon…so innocent…I sorely wished I had her back…instead of _that_.

"Yes, I thought you were merely a charlatan, Nefon! I sincerely apologize on behalf of my entire organization." The lead robe bowed, I nodded my head easily, waiting.

"I heard you've been going around making sure Mewni is on even footing, I admit what you do is very commendable, if you showed up years ago we might have never been in this situation. But that's in the past now…now we must forge a better future. For Mewni."

"I'm sure you'll cooperate with my endeavors too." I smiled sweetly, the robe nodded slowly, "So long as our goals run parallel, we'll be allies, if Monsters give you trouble during negotiations do not hesitate to call upon us, we want to minimize all possible bloodshed."

 _Yep. So long it's not Monster blood spilled you don't give a flying fuck about who dies in your little scheme, I guess I'm the same way…this little arrangement is fine for now, gotta sacrifice a little to gain a lot more…_

We shook hands and I walked away.

* * *

 **Month 5** The Revenge of Darcy  
[Chapter 18]

* * *

I tossed my hair as I walked through Spiderbite Kingdom, feeling like a million billion bucks! Bucks? What the hell was that? Aw, whatever! It felt good!

I finally stuck it to that Queen—no, that whore! Ooh yeah~ She had no more hold on me, not like before! I was afraid, but now…she was the one afraid! I had all the cards and she had nothing! NOTHING!

Oh, the things I'm going to make her do~

I grinned and snatched a loaf of cornbread, tossing the vendor more coin than necessary, waving off the change.

I walked out of the kingdom, slowly changing my appearance into something more comfortable~ I was going to see what the Crimson Children were cooking up!

.

"What. The. Fuck."  
I didn't care for tact, I was completely stumped.

"Marvelous, isn't it~? We took some blood from that bastard you brought and made our very own!" The lead robe didn't notice my profanity, only basking in their accomplishment.

I looked at the newest bastard: it looked like an exact clone of the first one.  
But I could feel the difference…it was part Monster.  
The first was Mewman, and me, also Mewman, this was different. It was a hybrid.

Innately…I already hated it.

I watched them fawn over it, praise themselves and it, I felt my fist tighten…  
But I kept my emotions and words in check.  
I needed to study my _enemy_.  
I needed to know what it could do…

I later learned after getting over my shock it—no…  
He is Liquid Lizard.  
And him: Solid Spider.

They were my brothers, albeit macabre fashion from my beloved sister's corpse…  
But there was no kinship.  
We might be blood-related but I felt no tenderness with them…  
ThEy WeReN't My FaMiLy…

Still I dropped by the Crimson Children's base of operation to observe them, some felt that I was overstepping our partnership but I didn't care…this was a wretch in my plan…if either one became a problem…

I had to be ready.  
After all…they were as strong as me.

.

With my reputation without challenge I got into places I couldn't without blatant endorsement from Monsters, I enjoyed the fullness of Mewni! It was great!

And it sped up the process of seeding distrust among all of the factions…  
Oh, what fun I will have~

Now that I was trusted more openly by both sides, I could begin whispering rumors here and get some riots and raids going, always making violence an option in every given situation throwing negotiations and talks out the goddamn window! For the most part they had done it on small scales except for one that members of the Crimson Children took credit for: a raid on the Butterfly Kingdom.

Of course, that was all well and good but they couldn't hope to match me...  
I continued to work behind the scenes, sometimes I was Nefon...sometimes I wasn't…I would just some random Mewman or Monster getting everyone's blood simmering not quite boiling~

If Mewni just erupted in blind rage, I couldn't control the demise and rebirth of Mewni!  
They needed their Hope to guide them through this tough and troubled time!  
Like a gift from on high!

Still, my followers only numbered in the hundreds and even fewer when accounting for the most zealous; so I needed the manpower and firepower to change that. The general consensus was the Forest of Certain Death supposedly housed a budding settlement, no real stable power structure and it just so happened to be situated on ruins, relics of the past could be there.  
For my benefit~

The allure of both things I needed was too much to bear and I found myself moving for the forest with all possible haste! I traveled far, running into a bird-turtle-monster-thing family.

"Greetings, I am—"  
"We know who you are."  
I blinked.

"I see my reputation precedes me."  
"It does. Listen, last time someone came here trying to make things better: it didn't. So do us all a favor and don't come back here. And don't ever contact us again."

I nodded slowly, "And I have the pleasure of addressing…?"  
"Good day."  
"Ah—"  
"I SAID GOOD DAY!"

I left the decrypt house, I would firebomb the place one day, but I would save that for another time.

I walked through the settlement, from robes to hoods, I left my face bare as I walked through the place, instantly I was recognized but I paid it no mind, there were a lot of whispering but I ignored it. Some awkwardly stared or made gestures of praise or evil warding.  
That only annoyed me when my eyes fell upon the ruins in the center of the place, the guards tried to intimidate me but after throwing some into the sky and watching crash back down in a sickening crunch the others backed off.

Smart choice.  
You'd live longer for sure.

And I helped myself to the wonders below.  
Or horrors. Never really thought about that.  
The first level was carefully excavated, it was just some fancy pottery, some muddy murals nothing special at first. That all changed when I divine a clever trapdoor leading to a staircase descending even further below. I found myself walking down the flight, knowing it was seldom explored.

"Hello, abomination."

I froze at the drawl from my perfect stride.

I glanced over to see a pair of eyes looking at me from the darkness at the end of the stairs, I felt a strange sensation as its eyes seemingly scanned me. Peering into who I was, despite my modified appearance.

"Watch your tone: I am Nefon the Informant."  
"I know you're not that either."  
"Hah…who the fuck are you?" my voice deathly cold.

The pair of eyes moved into the light.  
A smug small blue man with a jewel on his forehead.  
I had the sudden urge to pummel him into the ground.

"I am Glossaryck."  
"Okay. Get lost fuck face."

I stride down the steps but the floating goon didn't move from my path, he raised his hand, six fingers I counted, "What you find below wont help you, its better off forgotten."

"That'll be for me to decide."  
"I knew you'd say that." he said almost matter-of-factly.

He swept to the side as I casually gave him the middle-finger walking past him.

"I knew you'd do that too."  
"Shove it up your ass—but you already knew that." I cut him off before he could speak.

I walked further on until my eyes couldn't adjust anymore, I felt around until something was thrown to by back to which I easily caught. I felt it up and took my flint and knife and lit myself the torch and explored the depths below, it wasn't much at first it seemed grave robbers nicked whatever valuables left behind, I explored deeper and deeper, until the walls and floors changed from manmade stone to carved out of stone, sometimes just beaten soil.

I ran my hand across the walls and surfaces, feeling weathered rock.  
Then I stopped when I felt carvings.

Squinting I found myself in front of a carved mural, depicting some battle.  
I looked at the walls and found even more, each one depicting events I didn't understand.  
But that blue gnome made it a point to stop me.  
It had to be important.

I didn't get what it was about.  
But I kept examining it until I came across some particular inscription: written in Mewman modern text as if someone had deciphered the earlier events…

That's what we call the show Daron Nefcy made that has consumed our free time to our daily lives.

The — discovered a way to use the — as an entertainment commodity, televising it to the world.

Because of —, we were able to live very entertained [and fulfilled] lives, but wasn't that because we were slowly being assimilated? A lot of normies thought so.

— used their influence and funds to try and stop any other shows who got in the way.

Daron Nefcy had a special group of fans called SHIPPER and all of the SHIPPERs had Shipping Cells put inside them.  
Shipping is a calamity that befalls all series and franchises from a long, long time ago.

Anyway, there was one SHIPPER named Tomstar, who was better than the rest.

But when they found out about the terrible plot development in stored for them…they began to hate Daron Nefcy…and then…over time they began to hate every ship.

Tomstar and the other ships against them.  
Tomstar, who hated the series so much they wanted all ships to be sunk.  
And the viewers who were torn between the ships.

There were a lot of ship wars.  
For every ship war there was more sadness.  
A ship that I love faded back in obscurity too.

And then…it came: the Canon Ship. In the end the series itself had to make the ship wars stop for good. The series used the Canon Ship as a Finality and when it flooded into the television and the internet, all the shipping wars…all the bitterness and fan art; everything was washed away.

Content sadness was the price to see a series end.  
It's been four seasons since they told me that.

"What even is this?" I sighed exasperated.  
The following text were more worthwhile:  
Tales from the past…

How God molded the stars…  
Making this vast land and planted life…  
Then a single drop of blessing—the Origin Jewel.  
For the master race...

"Origin Jewel? What the heck is that?" I muttered, I looked at the murals seeing pictures hailing some being.

With six fingers.

"Dafuq? You got to be kidding me."  
"Believe it."

I smacked the gnome whispering in my ear, Glossaryck slammed into the wall.  
Unperturbed by the abuse, Glossaryck spoke up despite his face in the dirt,

"It seemed that someone bore witness to my creation of the Mewni Sector."  
"I doubt someone like you is that powerful."  
"You're right, when I was born from Primordial Magick from that 'war'. After an eon + 1, my body formed and came across a curious artifact that allowed me to bend the gushing Primordial Magick to my whim…I 'isolated' a piece of the universe where I became it's God."

I scoffed, I glanced back to the murals, "Then who made these? Who translated them?"

Glossaryck shrugged and floated away, "Some infinitesimal speck not worth my notice, no doubt the original inhabitants of this place."

"…so Mewmans aren't even native to Mewni."  
"Of course not. I put them here after I tinkered with them in the Origin Point. My Domain, that's where the residual Primordial Magick exist, so long as that place isn't destroyed…I can't be either."

I looked at the empty cavern, asking no one in particular,  
"What if I go there. What then."  
"You could remake this 'universe' but it is a fool's errand: those who go there…will ultimately forget how to enter and leave. That's how I programmed the first Mewmans after all, buuut I'm sure that programming is still somewhere in their psyche."

I mused at the revelations,  
"You're not no God. You are just a bystander watching us play."  
"Oh, I am a _God_. But even I have standards."

I shook my head at the answer and delved deeper into the caverns but the mural ran out and I walked back to the surface, running my hand across the wall, even in the dark tunnel, dancing light and near silence it was quite relaxing. I felt many odd formations, finding them to be discarded or rusted weapons and armor of the past, oodles of them for the taking...my hunch was right, this place was perfect for me~

In my daze back, I felt my hand slip over a smooth glass surface and I did a double take, I swung the torch and beheld a gorgeous regal bird spreading its wings in a frightening display, if I didn't know any better it looked like the shadow of a ghoul or demon leaping at you.

"And who are you~?"

I touched the glass prison realizing it was crystal, I dug around the prism and found the majestic bird had a torn sash, it seemed it was froze in mid-flight perhaps attacking with how it clawed forward. I made out the runes stitched and it read:

"…Prince Craven, huh? I wonder what happened to you?"

I rapped my knuckle on the crystal, "Hmph, if I want you out of here…I can't use conventional means, I'd kill you." My thoughts drifted back to the gnome's words, "…maybe I could free you, my dear prince, with magic. I wonder who I can take some from?"

I licked my lips.

Royalty was on the menu~

* * *

 **Month 6** Darcy : the Rogue One

* * *

I consistently visited the Crimson Children base, making myself a nook in the hideout where I could gather my thoughts and formulate my plans.

When I first arrived, they were organized to be sure, a lot of foot soldiers, researchers, a mix of both sometimes and the religious sect making the brass of the group. However, with Lizard's success and my funding they had grown considerably and they were looking to move into a new phase of their 'plan': letting Lizard loose upon Mewni.

Ugh, so even the Monsters were in the same hindsight of the Mewmans.  
Make a weapon then threaten it with Mewni.

Still, they were predictable and that made it easier with what I intended for them...

I thought of ways to slow down their progress, making them do mundane tests with the two but I didn't account for their stellar learning curve, they gobbled up lessons thrown at them. Eventually I suggested they were pitted against each other, knowing Nefon's personality they would be horrified by such a thing: I was right.

The group began to focus on solely that.  
I smirked at my diversion.  
I stopped one problem...but kingdoms and factions weren't idle...they were preparing their war machines, there champions, for war...

And I had to ensure the more problematic ones didn't stand in my way.  
Masking myself and strapping my bodice with my sinister implements I got to work...

Spiderbite was subdued, I personally saw to that.  
Cloud Kingdom was beyond my reach so I had to let it go...  
Jagged Mountain's champion took a nasty fall~  
Waterfolk Kingdom's champion was mysteriously poisoned ~  
Johansen Clan's champion went on a pilgrimage.  
Pigeon Kingom had no champion appointed but had pigeons numbering the thousands.  
Lucitor Kingdom had a legion of demons, some from noble knightly bloodlines, they had to be all dealt with somehow...  
Butterfly Kingdom had no champion but their Queen and Princess was formidable. Out of all the kingdoms I observed they were the only rulers that fought on the front lines despite the army they had.

Besides the kingdoms...factions, individuals and policing bodies had to be also disabled or cowed in submission.

Taking out small factions and individuals was easy enough...just take them out.  
One. By. One.  
It was easy to cover it up as a rival faction decimating them.  
Getting rid of the evidence or 'body' was certainly a treat for me~

Then there was the Magic High Commission and in their ranks was Omnitraxus Prime, Hekapoo and Rhombulus.  
I didn't have a hard counter for them yet, but they haven't gotten to me so I swept them under the rug.  
A problem to consider later.

But my thoughts came back to besieging an organization or large faction? Was problematic even for me, no doubt I could do it but it would ruin my reputation if someone got attacked and I wasn't there to stop it or alleviate the results.

I needed some controlled chaos.  
Disposable troops.  
Expendables.

I immediately hired mercenaries for a raid or two but it was also a problem with paying them constantly and them going overboard with their 'employment' to me. If local mercenaries kept attacking then the inhabitants would wise up to it, Mewmans and Monsters were stupid...but even they would catch one eventually and become too vigilant. I needed a disciplined force, my thoughts raced back to the inter-dimensional mercs in the Forest of Certain Death, they cared not for the land's politics just getting paid for their services.

And to throw Mewni in a state of confusion, I'll garb them in uniforms of other kingdoms...  
Of bandits and rogues...  
Of rival factions...

I could lead them, my appearance and skill wouldn't be an issue, but I can't expect them to do delicate work like sifting through books, secrets, armories and such for they would grow suspicious. The only problem was I had no one to trust to lead them...

Alone...

I needed a competent general, some Mewman or Monster who shared my wonderful views on Mewni, but where could I find one such as that? I scoured all over Mewni and its kingdoms, looking into shady places and far off lands but none reached even half of my standards, even my devout followers came short of what I wanted, they were good followers...but nothing more than that.

Again I found myself sulking in the Crimson Children's base, I could hear the clanging of metal and yelps of the boys from my nook.  
The younger robes coming to see me everyday to fill my cup with wine or with a loaf of cornbread. After I paid them of course.  
There had to be someone on Mewni...maybe I was looking at the predicament wrong.

I watched Liquid and Spider beat each other again, nearby robes complaining before the lead robe came asking some peculiar.

"We put Liquid in too much risk with these physical distractions...had it been prepared?"  
"Yes, the compiling is almost done, soon we can start with his brilliant education."  
" _Glorious_ ~"

My ears perked at it and I later spied some machinery being assembled, tomes and books stacked to the ceiling, I eavesdrop finding out it was some machine similar to a Miss Heinous once had. But instead of 'essence replenishing' it was for data programming in live subjects.

"I can't believe this machine could make you learn things quicker."  
"It's the Immersion Process, you _believe_ you did something enough and your body begins to _think_ on instinct based on it. It's sorta like making an individual a _natural_ at something that they weren't before."  
"That's really neat. So it's sorta like brain washing...or Assassin's Creed."  
"...yeah. But can you imagine if everyone here was a master swordsman...you know what, let's test it out me first."

I felt my guts curled, I mistook the Crimson Children for some faction with high hopes only to crash and burn...but now they legitimately had the tools to unmake me!

And I handed it to them!

I gritted my teeth and stayed away from the faction for days to think straight.  
I wandered out of the facility and ended up in the Butterfly Kingdom, my head swirling.  
How do I solve this problem?

I bumped into a girl with green bushy hair, she quickly apologized and ran around the corner, I glanced at what she was looking at: a calendar.

 _...it's nearly been 6 months since my conception._

Time waited for no one, I had to act before that blasted faction made my brothers too powerful to be contended with!  
I...oh.

I felt a smile split my face.  
I may have handed them everything...  
But that doesn't mean I couldn't take it back.

I felt a feral smile grace my face, gaining some stares from uncomfortable Mewmans and guards.  
I didn't even notice the gnats.  
I walked out of the kingdom, heading for their base of operation.  
My stride unbroken as I left the paved road and into the wilds of Mewni, my eyes gleaming a haunting blue as my body began to change, more muscle mass, denser bones, claws, a mouth full of sharp teeth.

I thought tenderly of the feast to come.

 _It's been a while, I haven't seen my brothers._  
 _Lets see how they are doing~_

 **XxXxXxXxX**

* * *

In 6 months Darcy got Mewni dancing in her hand.  
Is there nothing she can not do?

I know this is not every avid reader's favorite thing: flashbacks + backstories.  
But honestly, who would be a threat to Marco at this point? Other than his morals?  
Darcy is the Marco reflected darkly, every fear the royals thought about Marco is what Darcy became. And yet be.  
They thought he would bring instability to Mewni, incite riots, bring about bloodshed and Civil War. Nope.

They made their own monster.  
So focused on Marco, Darcy slipped under their watchful eye.  
Watch her wreck havoc in the next 6 months...I've been sorta hands off with the outright violence.  
For now. Just getting the menacing mood right.

Next Chapter: **Brotherhood  
** Next Chapter: Mewni Civil War ft. Higgs + KotH + Tad

Also that little excerpt is a parody of Advent Children, a friend made it for shits and giggles, forgot where.

 **Knights of Mewni** :  
Butterfly - Paladins ; Dark Knights [formerly]  
Lucitors - Hell Knights  
Waterfolk - Tidal Knights  
Cloud - Knightmares  
Jagged Mountain - Brute Knights  
Johansen Clan - War Knights [Berserkers]  
Pigeon - Valkries

Ciao,  
I AM NRG

 **END OF TRANSMISSION**


	29. Chapter 28

**Disclaimer:** 3/5

 **Chapter 28**

Brotherhood

 **XxXxXxXxX**

* * *

I looked at Lizard worriedly, they were doing it again:  
Training us.

I understood why Lizard was trained. He was their 'hope'.  
I was to be beaten by Lizard.

The hoods yelled at me, but he praised me.  
Teaching me how to defend myself, how to counter, parry, evade, counter-attack and the like.

He smiled.  
I smiled.

They hated it.  
They said we shouldn't get along.  
We were enemies.  
Nothing alike.

"Never been more wrong, Spider." Lizard whispered, I sneakily took a piece of candy from his belt, he grinned.

"Spoil your supper, you will."  
"Find a better hiding place."  
"Nah, I hate seeing you pout."  
"I never pout…" _I pouted a lot._

Whatever private lessons they gave Lizard, I later learned it when he came to visit me, they must have known seeing their disapproving face, but they did not stop Lizard. If they spoiled Lizard, he spoiled me. I quite liked it.

"You're younger than me."  
"...?"

"That's what they say, so I'm your big brother." Lizard said as if it was a fact of life, "That means I look out for you."

I frowned, "You don't have to…"  
Lizard laughed, "You're right: I don't have to. I want to and will. Big brothers never stop worrying about our baby brothers."

Lizard ruffled my hair, it was strange I was sure I was 'born' first than him…maybe we were separated at birth?

For living in this shit hole of a place, being treated like an unwelcome guest or eyesore, Lizard always made me feel better about being born.

I'm glad we're brothers.

I was used to the robes by now.  
Even Slink, he wasn't like the rest though.  
Not sneering or hateful, in truth he looked as if he was disappointed.

But then there was one that didn't wear a robe: she looked familiar…  
She came often enough, always watching me and Lizard.  
Her eyes were awfully cold.  
Even here voice…I shuddered, I don't know why the other's couldn't hear it but Lizard but there was an undercurrent of disdain in it.

I looked up and saw them from the balcony.  
I ran up to Lizard.  
Trying to not think of them…

 **[Darcy POV]**

"Told ya you'd get some primo results pitting the brothers—"  
"THEY ARE NOT BROTHERS."  
"—against each other. Look at them go! I mean Spider has nothing on Liquid…he's been fighting all day."

The lead robe looked smug at the observation, "Why of course he would~ he regenerates so fast that his endurance is neigh limitless! General Toffee would have been proud…but I'm sure somewhere in Liquid; Toffee is alive and well, he is _his_ living legacy."

"…" Nefon said nothing and just observed, her eyes calculating coldly.

 **[End** **POV]**

I recalled her coming and going from the place I was held.  
Every visit made me nervous but I pushed it back in my head when I had so much demanded from me harshly by my caretakers.

They gave us tests and puzzles to do, to my surprise I could solve easily despite seeing it for the first time. However, as these ran out physical training took their place and we were evenly match for the most part.

Then they stopped giving me food.  
And water.

Our matches started to go in Lizard's favor.  
When he found out, he would bring me something to eat and drink later at my cell; he was upset.

"We train better when you eat! This is wrong!" Lizard hissed, his eyes slit as he tore a loaf and fed me through the bars, he passed a mug filled with juice to me next.

I ate my fill, I knew it was wrong, but I wasn't in a position to fight back.  
I had to leave it to Lizard to do something about it.  
And I didn't like the notion either.

"I don't like it either."

The two of us jumped, Lizard rose to his feet when Slink was propped against the wall, he looked pissed, "Don't worry your head about feeding your brother, I'm grateful because I was about to do the same."

He had one apple in his hand.  
It wasn't much but I would have taken it anyways.

"They are testing you two because that…Mewman said so…"  
"Who?"  
"Calls herself 'Nefon the Informant'…I don't trust her. Something about her ain't right."

The two looked worried for a moment but Slink tossed the apple and walked away.  
I caught it and ate it with gusto.

"I'm going to tell them to stop doing this…you need to be fed. You need to be strong."  
"…okay." I mumbled.

Lizard sighed and we both sat down, "You think they're gonna listen?" "…maybe."

* * *

"Yes, I suppose starving Spider wouldn't do. Rest assure Lizard he will be fed regularly like before." The lead robe said gruffly, almost absentmindedly.

I blinked.  
Lizard blinked.  
That was easier than we thought.

"He will be testing something for us after all, can't have a half dead _Mewman_ mucking up the results. Spider will be a tester for the machine; making sure it works properly."

I shuddered at the words.  
 _What machine?_

I was led away from Lizard into a room with a massive machine with pentagrams, magic circles, floating tomes and stacks of books.

A single metal head dome with magic symbols, cables and wiring decorated the thing.

"Alright…let's find something simple to test you with…" the lead robe looked through the books while a robe gave me something to eat: a bowl of diced roasted mushrooms with thick slices of gamey meat in a berry drizzle.

This was the most impressive meal I had ever received.  
I wolfed it down just as the lead robe found a book to use.

"You. Do you know anything about pottery?"

I looked at the lead robe before I shook my head, my mouth full.  
It threw the book at a magic circle and had me sit on a chair with straps as the metal dome piece was jammed on my head.

The book flicked open and suddenly as if a tempest blew across it, flipped through the pages.  
I felt as if someone put a hot iron in my head and screamed, the leather straps biting into me as I tried to pry it off.

The book wasn't as thick but each page burned into my mind: the history of pottery, the means to make it, how to decorate it, styles, types, uses and everything in between burned into my mind.

The book snapped shut before I slumped forward and puked what I ate.  
They wiped my chin and front before they took the dome off and held a picture in front of me, I could barely make it out so they slapped me.

"What is this."  
"I don't—"  
 ***SLAP***

I blinked the tears away as they held a picture up again.  
Focusing the best I could, I began to blurt out things I didn't know I knew.

"…it's a vintage…salt glazed…urn…it looks to be north style because of the clay coloring…maybe Jagged Mountain?"

The robes looked at it.  
"I mean…he's not wrong, but not Jagged Mountain. Wonder how he knows about that place."  
"Doesn't matter! He got it right!"

The robes continued to talk before I blacked out.

The next I woke, Lizard was on the chair looking ragged as the room lit up as robes flicker past my vision as they came with books and tomes to feed Lizard, it took less than a minute before I realize what they were doing.

I could hardly handle a single book…but they were working like mad with Lizard, he looked at me concerned as he tensed and struggled as they fed him a tome or thick book to absorb, I watched in horror as they encouraged him to finish a stack even as he shook his head, pleading.

"Nonsense! You will be the savior that Mewni needs!" the lead robe raved.

I protested only to be switched with Lizard as to give him a break, the lead robe glaring at me.

"Give him something useless to learn!" the lead robe roared, the robes looked around furiously as Lizard glared at all present.

"The history of mushrooms?" a robe held out, the lead robe flicked through it before grunting and tossed it to a magic circle.

I felt sweat drip down my body, I had a notion that I was already familiar with mushrooms…  
And the pain was excruciating.  
I thrashed in the seat as my knowledge was viciously overlapped what the book had, if it was new it was bad enough but redundancy made my brain boil. I could see Lizard roar in protest, his eyes suddenly bright and robes fell to the ground twitching before I was pulled free of the chair.

"Spider! Spider, are you okay? Of course, you're not…"  
"…"

He picked me up and carried me away, the robes recovering soon after.

"…"  
"…could he always do that?"

The lead robe smiled, "No…but we might have found a way to manifest his latent powers~"

.

Despite Lizard's anger and physical protest such as lashing out to the robes, the lead robe would order me to get in the chair to be subjugated to a round of torture.  
I refuse of course.

But that didn't stop robes from slamming me on the chair and putting me through the ringer.

Again Liquid would come to my rescue, I could see that he was getting more and more violent, manifesting claws and once I swore: a tail. He tried barring them from getting me, but I had grown so weak from the ill treatment I couldn't even fight back to help. Lizard, he…he was too kind, he didn't kill. He didn't maim.

It was always using his gaze to stop the robes.

Lizard stopped taking the programming angering the lead robe; he roared and raged for my sake all day and night.  
Eventually the robes agreed so long as Liquid took to the tests without complaint I wouldn't suffer any longer.

Lizard fed me.  
Washed me.  
Bathed me when I pissed and shit myself, unable to do it myself after so many torture sessions.

I always apologized.  
He just smiled, ruffling my hair.

They wanted him to go through battle tactics, close quarter combat, assassination techniques, the wet work arts.  
They insisted he learned from the best from history, tomes upon tomes, history books on war.  
I told him they were making him into a weapon.

"As long as you're safe…I don't care."  
"I CARE! What'll happen to you?"

I looked at my brother pleadingly, he merely smiled back tiredly, he looked exhausted,

"I wont let them hurt you again, Spider. I promise. I'm your brother. You are my brother. We look out for each other. We are all we got."

Without warning I felt rigid and Lizard carefully place me down, I looked at him petrified.  
His gaze...it was a lot stronger now!

"Don't worry, it will wear off in a few hours, I know they are going to stuff you in that chair again…this way you won't get any weaker."

I looked on helplessly as Lizard used his inherent powers to spare me from the harsh programming. The following morning they had to drag me into the chair and tried to do the same thing again, albeit without any success at all.

The robes fussed over the lack of success.

"DAMNIT! What's wrong with this thing!?"

"Time is better spent on Lizard, leave _that_ in its cell. If it is going to reject the programming, then its worthless to us." Spat the other hooded member.

Many of the robes murmuring in agreement, the lead robe cast a poorly hidden glare at Lizard. I was dragged back to my cell, catching a glimpse of my brother looking at me, slightly nodding at his gambit.  
I was spared.  
But in doing so Lizard paid the price for it.

.

I laid in my cell, the effects of Lizard's Stare lessen allowing me to move somewhat but it was hardly an improvement. I was thankful that Lizard managed to slip away to feed me soup and relieve myself before putting me as comfortable as possible on my meager bed.

I stared at the ceiling, debating on sleeping or waiting for Lizard.  
It was late…

"Heyyy there little Spider~"

I froze.  
The fake happy singsong voice immobilized me.

I crane my neck the best I could.  
It was Nefon.  
But she…never openly spoke to me. Or Lizard.  
The way she looked at me…was unnerving.

She just smiled so sweetly…it mad my stomach turn.

"Oh? Is lil Spider immobilize~ heh heh heh…where's your brother."  
The last part had a bit more edge on it.  
I felt my eyes narrow at the demand, deep down I knew she only meant harm.

"I'm not…telling you." I snarled, spittle on the side of my mouth.  
The old Spider would have trembled at her voice, but I…I wanted to be like Lizard, my brother.  
He wouldn't have been scared of her. I neither will I.

Nefon smiled even wider, she looked at me with absolute malice, as if she wanted nothing more than to slip into the cell and wring me with her bare hands— _what?_

I stared dumbfounded as a long talon scrape on the bars.  
She was a Mewman…wasn't she?

"Ooh pardon me~" her eyes twinkled.  
Blue to green.

I felt my guts loop and twist over each other.

"I'M NOT HERE FOR YOUUUUU…" Nefon said in a happy singsong tone.  
"…"

"I'm here for your brother."  
"He'll kill you."

Nefon smiled showing her teeth.  
All sharp like Lizard's but unlike his which I found comforting.  
It was nothing short of terror.  
Suddenly her shadow mountain over me, blocking out the lantern light, I looked up to see her callous hollow eyes baring down on me with all her fury.

"Oh I'm sure. If he wasn't put through that machine of yours~"  
"!"

Nefon giggled like a schoolgirl.

"He's weaken. He's tired."

Nefon leaned into the cell bars, shoving her face roughly between the bars even as it redden her skin.

"That's why I waited until he was like this to attack~  
Poor Lizard…Spider didn't even want to save his big brother from ME."

My mouth ran dry at the words.  
Nefon cutely smirked and left.  
My heart hammered in my chest as I tried to move my limp limbs.  
Nefon, she—!

She's a monster!  
And Lizard he—!

"No! No! NOOO!" I openly wept as I flailed myself.

Still I found myself helpless.  
My thoughts ran back to Lizard who was no doubt being

"Who are—!?"  
"GAAAAHHH!"  
"GRAHHHHH!"  
"HELP! HEEEEL—"

I wretched myself forward, clawing at the ground with all my MIGHT!

My hands ached just stretching open.  
I was still paralyzed.

And the screaming and yells and crying and running and cursing and dying thundered in my cell.  
She was slaughtering everyone!  
I watched as more shadows and robes ran past me, carrying weapons, ready to fight,  
ready to die.

I know I would have smiled.

But horror gripped me instead.

Those robes—they could protect Lizard right?  
Right!?

Cold sweat erupted all over me when all the warcries turned into screams of terror.  
The sound of stone breaking apart, bodies being torn, blood splattering and dripping made it to me as I remained motionless.

"DAMN YOU NEFON!"  
"YOU TRAITOR!"  
"SHOULD NEVER TRUS—!"

"You're too loud—DIE~"

Thuds.  
Thuds of weapons.  
And bodies.  
I prayed I wouldn't hear it end, I prayed this place held a hundred thousands robes.

Then  
It was quiet…  
Triumphant laughter made me despair.

"Hello, there, Lizard~" I swore that whisper was just by my ear…

I screamed to the heavens for anyone.  
Everyone.  
I screamed for her to stop.  
To leave Lizard alone.  
To take me.

I screamed for salvation from this monster.

But no one came.  
Not even my father.

* * *

Lizard stared down Nefon after her greeting, everything around her was dead and bleeding, pools of blood rippled with each breath she took.

She smiled so sweetly at him.  
But he knew it was a façade…

The gentleness never reached her eyes.  
Hateful.  
Hollow.  
Devoid of Mewmanity…

She kicked one hood, the lead hood, and the face of a Mewman showed.

"You see that, Lizard? This Mewman transplanted Monster flesh unto himself as if it would give him dominion over the rancid flesh…pathetic." she snickered.

"If you're going to kill me: KILL ME."

Nefon tutted, looking offended, she leaned closer, gods she was immaculate…it was as she was sculpted by a master craftsman…her beauty was unnatural. Even her scent, perfume or such was a delight to breathe in…despite having slaughtered everyone in the damn compound. Confusion boner was the least of his worries.

"I don't want to kill you…sister."  
"…sister?" Lizard was taken back, did he look so much like a girl?

Nefon leaned back smiling, genuinely smiling.  
She looked somber a moment later.

"I couldn't save you back then…and again I was too late…they meat grind your corpse and you and Spider came from it…oh why didn't I come sooner to save you…" Nefon clapped her bloody hands over her face, smearing blood and her talons nearly scarring her delicate face.

Lizard watched as Nefon kill so wantonly and brutally it seemed absurd to suddenly hear her crying.  
Over him.

"…you couldn't stay dead…they couldn't just leave you alone…you deserve to rest…you deserve peace but…but they had to bring you back sister in this—this HORRIBLE BODY!"

Lizard yelled as Nefon backhand him, cutting his face.  
Her eyes were wild with fury and pain.

"WHY DO I HAVE TO KILL YOU AGAIN SISTER!? WHY NEFON!? WHY DID YOU COME BACK!?"

Lizard barfed blood as Nefon slammed fist and claws into him while strapped to the chair, he could have broken free but rotten luck reached him as the robes put even more thick leather straps to chain him down.

He was at this mad Nefon's mercy.

She beat him.  
When she stopped.  
She picked up a piece of timber and began to push splinters into him.  
One. At. A. Time.

Lizard bared his teeth at the mistreatment.

He knew she could get worse.  
Far worse.  
But that would risk letting him free…and even in her manic state she wasn't stupid enough to do so.

Until she mauled him on the neck with a maw with enough razor shark teeth to scare off a shark.  
Lizard felt hot blood pump down into her gullet as she pulled away, her eyes alight with manic glee; wiping her chin of the fresh blood.

"There…I've preserved you…again." she moaned.

"…what…are…you?!" Lizard wheezed as the wound healed, Nefon looked at him surprised before she raked her talon across her forearm.

Blood spurted out but she paid it no mind as the flesh mended itself.  
Albeit slower than Lizard's.

"I am Darcy…sister to Nefon…your family." She said warmly

"…you are no family of mine." Lizard hissed unsure why the sentiment was abhorrent to him, "I only have one: Spider, my brother."

Nefon slapped him.

"I am your sister! You are not Lizard! He is not Spider! You both are NEFON! Crushed and rolled into paste and thrown in that fuckin' pit and it birthed you! You think you are your own person but you are WRONG. You are NEFON. You will be always my sister…you just forgot."

Lizard felt his gut hit the bloody floor when Nefon pulled out a small notebook, she lovingly brushed it, "I wrote a memoir of our time together in Spiderbite…where we were born and ultimately where you died…we were the HoPe of Mewni, I believe that we are, I still believe…but that whore perverted that hOpE. But with this machine…maybe…maybe I could have Nefon back."

"What the fuck is wrong with you?"

Nefon ignored the question and began to piece the machine together from the earlier battle, Lizard could feel the rising bile of dread in him: this machine was capable of many terrible things…the amount of knowledge forced upon him would take lifetimes but he learned it in an afternoon.

Lizard could hear the machine whir into life and he began to spout everything to differentiate himself from this 'Nefon', from his life, to his time with Spider, with what he had gone through in his short life.

Nefon ignored it and looked through the little book, taking solace in it before she came across a scribble that was not in her handwriting: Lacks sly orGies.

"Don't act as if you are your own person," Nefon snapped, "this persona you have is just a construct of your imagination, you have been and always been Nefon~"

"NO I AM NOT! I DON'T KNOW WHO THIS 'NEFON' IS! WHO THE FUCK ARE YOU!? NEFON?! DARCY!?"

Nefon looked at him as if the words finally wormed it through her thick skull, she chuckled to herself and ran a hand through her hair suddenly changing its color and her eyes flashed green.

"That's right…I keep forgetting I'm wearing someone else's skin…  
I AM DARCY, THE HOPE OF MEWNI."

"You're fuckin' insane." the words dawning to Lizard.

Nefon—Darcy looked at Lizard coldly before she put the journal on the magic circle and held up the metallic head dome.

"We shall see about that, Lizard…but after I'm done with you…you'll remember you're 'Nefon'~"

Lizard roared and pulled at the restraints with all his might as the metal dome was slammed on his head and he screamed as the journal's contents poured into his mind.

"DON'T FIGHT IT!" Darcy barked and pulled it off and punched him in the face before slamming it back on.

Lizard barred his teeth and pulled on the restraints.  
Claws scrapped the chair.  
His tail grew and slammed on any surface.

Darcy roared, grabbing a machete from a disembodied hand slashing his fingers and tail off.

"I KNOW THEY ARE GOING TO GROW BACK. WE CAN DO THIS ALL DAY, NEFON." Darcy screamed in delirious rage.

Lizard glared at her, his eyes defiant, determine, uny—

Darcy jammed her fingers in and twisted causing Lizard to scream.  
Even as these horrid information tore into his mind, burning his brain, trying to overwrite what he knew.

He resisted.  
He valiantly resisted.

And this went on for an hour.  
By then fingers and tails littered the blood soaked corpse ridden floor.

Darcy was not amused.

"DON'T MAKE ME CHANGE YOU, NEFON." Darcy spat coldly.  
"What you say…and what you do…is—ack!" Lizard gasped as a karate chop smashed into his throat, Darcy glared down on him.

She picked up a mace, hefting its weight before ripping off the spike studs and looking at Lizard.

"You might be more amicable _unconscious_."  
"…" Lizard could only grit his teeth in silence as Darcy stomped forward, a look of pain flashed through her eyes, green to blue.

"I'm sorry…little sister."  
"No, you're not."  
"…you're right." Her eyes flashed green again.  
"…you're a terrible sister."  
"I know~"  
"SPIDER, RU—ARGH!"

Darcy bashed open Lizard's head, he slumped forward showing her the prize inside, she stared at the indentation for a moment before slamming the metal dome again on his head and watched as his unconscious body rigid up and convulsed as the journal flicked away.

"AAAARGHHHH!" Lizard screamed before Darcy tore off the helmet and looked at the skull, seeing partial healing.  
She brought the mace down, cracking the head open and put the headpiece again, holding it in place as Lizard convulsed violently before he awoke screaming again.

And she did it.

Over. _Blood splattering her face._

And over. _Bits of bone flew from impact._

Again. _His head looked like a dropped overripe fruit._

Tears mixing with the blood on the floor.

 _Brother…_

* * *

My thoughts were racing at the thought of what Nefon would do to my brother!  
My entire body shook from exertion, sweat running down my back and face as I pushed, harder than I had in my entire life!

"GRRRGGH!" I felt veins fit to bursting as I strained physically, mentally and spiritually against my limbs! Every echoing cry from Lizard gore my soul…

Lizard was always so strong, to hear him cry out  
It was unbearable…

I hated her!  
I hated Nefon!  
I hated the robes for not protecting Lizard!

But most especially, I hated myself.  
I couldn't do anything and Lizard was the one to always help me.  
I couldn't stand on my two damn feet!

"Lizard!" I croaked, having scream and cry and plead for someone for so long.  
It was only to be muffled by Lizard's own screams of torture at the hands of Nefon.

Hot tears ran down my face as Lizard's cries grew louder and more violent.

I don't…even know…how long I crawled for the cell bars.  
It felt like hours.  
A lifetime.

I gripped the metal bars and stupidly try to bend them apart.  
I cried when it didn't budge.  
"Lizard…I'm so sorry…I can't…I can't even…" I sobbed.

"Spider…urgk, fuckin' shit…"

I felt my neck snapped at the voice, I saw the robe Slink dragging himself against the wall, blood smearing it, he looked as if someone had torn him apart, his hand was missing as was one eye.

"…where is...that bitch."  
"Lizard. She has Lizard!"

He held up a hand and shook his head, "Then run. You're no match for her…maybe Marco could—"

"Hmmm, Marco _could_?"

The two of us froze when Nefon stood in the stone hallway, looking absolutely _loathing_ and soaked in blood, strange as it sounds she stood there as if she was surprised herself. Her eyes were wide and bloodshot, darting to me then to Slink. He gasped and pulled out a knife before it clutter to the floor, her eyes darted down for a split second before Slink threw a dart at her, she slapped it out of midair without even bothering to look.

Slink screamed when she pinned him to the stonewall, looking absolutely malicious, "MARCO. MaRcO? What could he do~"

"Kill you." Slink gasped.

Nefon gave an ugly laugh.

"As if—" "I fought him and fled for my life, what you did he could do a thousand fold." He sneered.

Nefon's face turned from smug to boiling anger, she pressed her fingers into Slink and he vomit all over her.

"Tell me what you know about Marco and you'll breathe a minute longer." "Hah…I'm going to need more than a minute…"

Slink groaned when Nefon pushed a digit deeper,  
"NOW."  
"Eat shit, Nefon…Marco will return…then it'll be your turn to run and hide…"

Nefon pulled back a fist to smash Slink's face all over the wall before his torso expands and exploded sending her smashing through the cell bars. I felt searing burns but that was nothing when Nefon stepped on me, she snarled and picked me up and threw into the wall in frustration, a handful of spiders were crawling away from the carnage.

And Slink was nowhere to be found.

"…send your Marco and I'll break him to bloody pieces!" Nefon screamed before she spun and walked away, ignoring the flames spreading across the hallway, I gasped and clutch my chest and back.

I blinked feeling full mobility.

I quickly stood up and hobbled for Lizard.

I was sent sprawling on my back when an explosion rocked the entire place, Nefon smashed into the wall ahead of me, she snarled as she grew claws before an explosive satchel landed in front of her and sent her tumbling backwards.

Slink came into view, he looked like he lost a lot of weight, he looked at me and I almost fainted: half of his face was missing.

"What the fug—ged outta here!" he slurred as he pulled something and multiple explosion resounded all over the place.

"You're not getting out of here alive!" Nefon lunged for Slink but instead of a body tackled he exploded into a hundred little spiders and scurried away before the ceiling began to come crashing down.

For a moment I saw Nefon and her me.  
Before more came crashing down, I leapt forward but Nefon caught me and savagely threw me against the wall, I staggered to my feet and faced Nefon.

She eyed me for a moment before she glance back and stepped aside for a second, it was brief but I felt myself having tunnel vision before a pair of soul less eyes stared me down.

 _Run..._

I seized up and spun before my body threw itself down the hallway.

Nefon—Darcy clicked her tongue before grabbing hold of her new subordinate and walked away,  
"I have so much work to do with you, Sister..."

I didn't know how but I felt the compulsion to run faster and faster from whoever that was as more and more explosion echoed and I fled down the hallways, opening doors and going around corners, my limbs ached but as if my body was on autopilot pushed me on. I didn't know where to go but I saw a blood trail I knew it must have been Slink's…or Nefon's own.

I saw two busted door and I moved even faster  
Just before an explosion propelled me forward burning my back as I rolled into the hard grass turf.

I vaguely saw fire and passed out.

* * *

"Over here! A live one!"  
"Good, everyone else in that damn place is dead…"  
"C'mon that fire can be seen for miles!"

I felt myself being pulled upright and watched as several hooded figures stalk closer as the fires blazed behind them, they looked at me before they took a back step.

"Lord Marco!?"  
"It can't be! I mean the Nacho summoning spell we used failed—"  
"Shut it, we need to get out of here before a friggin' mob finds us!"

I felt being thrown over someone's shoulder, a familiar feeling, as they moved away from a burning heap…

…they said…everyone was dead…  
Lizard was dead…  
I was…alone.

And I cried at the thought.

.

"I can't believe this…"  
"I can't either…"

I sat on a chair with 10 red hoods looking at me with concern and a touch of fear.  
I obviously made them nervous.

"You're certain…you're not Lord Marco?"  
"Come off it…look the eyes are different."  
"And no scar."  
"Yeah…but the resemblance is so damn uncanny."

"Okay, okay, from the top: who are you?"

I looked around as one, rubbing my throat, my mouth was awfully dry.  
One of them handed me a cup of water and I happily drank it.

"Well…"

I recounted my tale the best I could, from my birth, my capture and imprisonment, to Lizard and the more recent events with Nefon and the fire.  
They shook their head, many cussed, others were fearful at the news.

"Solid Spider…huh."  
"This is quite literally a shite storm."  
"How do we know he isn't lying?"

The hoods looked at the one that spoke up.

"He could have made the fire and leapt out."  
"Now listen here—!"  
"Are you serious—!"

"ENOUGH!" The hoods and I jumped at the volume and command.

I saw a wee tuft of green came into view, he looked at me closely, I blinked in surprise I had no idea there was an 11th one in the room!  
"However...fanciful the situation is currently, I believe Solid Spider, what he recounted…this Nefon has been the talk of the town lately, I'm not surprised that she was in cahoots with some bad apples. But to think it would go this far? It blows all conspiracies into smithereens!"

"What should we do, Commander Tad?"

The tuft of hair spun and looked at everyone in the room.  
In the most forced commanding voice he could muster, he spouted out orders:

"I want recon on this Nefon! I want to know where she's going when she's going before she even knows it!"  
"Yes, we need to prepare for Lord Marco's eventual return."

"Do you think he will, Raymond?"

"Yes…I know he has a lot of pain associated to this place…but one could hope." Tad sighed, he looked at them for a moment before gesturing to them all, "I want Solid Spider to go through a full physical and psyche therapy, get his experiences on paper and he is not to be left alone. Nefon could very well come back for him."

"Yes, sir!"

"Good. Now I have to go to my Book Club. I'm debuting a new book.  
All I Require...  
Is a Squire: A Miggs Love Story."

I watched Tad leave and ponder my fate.  
And grieved for my lost brother.

 **XxXxXxXxX**

* * *

Whew.  
Another one down.

Just to be clear after the following 2 chapters there will be no more Darcy backstory, this is just bringing everyone up to speed before the ridiculous CGI fights start again in Mewni. I hate having to do this but I had to find the perfect antagonist for Marco and who better than himself? Manufactured and raised by those he has come to hate, in a sense Marco and Darcy is alike but their choices made them vastly different from one another one choosing to give them a chance even though they will fuck it up and the other giving nothing but her own choice in the matter. Ultimately Mewni would be changed regardless.

And with Darcy is extremely unstable in biology and mentally and you my avid readers can imagine what she did to Lizard and in turn what will happen to Mewni. As of right now Darcy has countless DNA samples from Mewmans and Monsters, now adding Lizard's she has his regenerative powers, making her a deadlier threat than before.

And yes, Tad and the Knights of the Hood knows each other.  
Tad serves as a pseudo leader to the KotH since he _**is**_ Marco's best friend on Mewni.

Next Chapter:  
 **Mewni Civil War**

 _tu ne me reconnaiss pas?  
_ I AM NRG

 **END OF TRANSMISSION**


	30. Chapter 29

**Disclaimer:** I am still here. Just...not in the best shape.

 **Chapter 29**

Mewni Civil War **  
**

 **XxXxXxXxX**

* * *

 **Month 7** Darcy : A SvtFoE Story

* * *

Despite the compound burning to the ground, I found that the machine and the blood pit to be relatively intact. This wasn't part of my plan but I found the outcome regardless in my favor~

However, there was one glaring issue: Lizard, my beloved sister who is also my brother.

Despite the hours of modifications I had done to him, he resisted in some capacity!  
Like sending Solid Spider, his brother running! Argh! I beat him and threw him on the machine again for an hour just so he could think about what he had done! No doubt that scum would spout nonsense to anyone who would care, he looked like Marco so there was no doubt someone would take ear…I'd have to silence them.

Wherever they reared their head.

I shook my head and looked at Lizard who thrashed on the chair in the meantime.

Lizard's defiance wore away after days of therapy, but I could never be sure if it really worked…the inner workings of the psyche was lost to me so I just had to take every precaution. I wrote a book of commands that Lizard would follow to the letter and made him go through it twice everyday when I had the chance: the moment he woke and before he slept.

I threw myself on the damn machine too, immersing myself with the tomes and books that didn't burn and my own collection as well! Oh, the pain was succulent but the pay off was worth it! Ah, with the knowledge I amassed; I gathered I had at least 20 years of fighting experience and tactics, of course I had to put it into practice. Lizard got 200 years of fighting experience…that was enough for him; damn Crimson Children you really wanted an unstoppable war machine, too bad his mine now~

Once all obstacles were cleared I set my sister on the warpath in a test run.

I was impressed at his efficiency: a settlement of 200 people, all dead.  
In hindsight it might have been overkill, I wanted stories of his bloody deeds to spread.  
Ah well…maybe I needed a bigger target~?

I took it upon myself to spread the news, crying belligerently and when the populace found the site they cried havoc. The injuries they sustained looked as if a rabid dire wolf had torn through the place, slashed marks so deep it might as well cut the person in two. Families around tables dead, they looked surprised at suddenly being torn apart. Livestock wasn't spared either, fuck Lizard I better keep a tighter leash on you.

I let this story spread and I was happy to see the effect on the other kingdoms: double the guards, double the patrols and keeping security at an all time high. Normally, that would be a bad thing for me, but it worked in my favor since I knew their defensible layout as 'Nefon' and the tense atmosphere made the citizens afraid and likely to panic at the merest trouble and rumor.

Easy chaos~

I revisited the Forest of Certain Death…  
This time around the occupants steered clear of me.

With the kingdoms preoccupied I got to work with Prince Craven, with no magic I decided to melt the crystal after stealing many tomes of geology and crystal related books. Three painstaking day of testing, mixing concoctions and brews before I melted the crystal to a manageable size pulled it out of the ruins and into a nearby stream.

Lizard kept sure no one would be around and any unfortunate souls that did were snuffed out.

Underwater I carefully worked on the crystal, it was meticulous but I managed to pull the Prince free, he shrieked and clawed me at the shore.

"IS THIS HOW YOU TREAT YOUR SAVIOR!?"  
"Isha iazza craa!"

I curled my lip and hissed, the massive bird looked at me,  
"You are…Mewman."  
"Yes." I panted, wiping my wet bangs to the side, "I am Darcy, sister to Nefon and Lizard, an Informant."

The Prince narrowed his eye and hopped on a rock, ruffling his feathers, "I…apologize for my behavior."  
"Is that all?"  
"What do you mean?"  
"You called my mother a 'two Mewni corncob whore'."  
"…I didn't know you knew Old Mewman."

I slapped the bird.  
He flapped his wings to stay upright before bowing, "I am…terribly sorry Lady Darcy, it will not happen again."  
"Bitch, it better not."

I broke bread with Prince Craven, telling him that I was a Mewman of Spiderbite and scholar, informant and sometimes warrior. Lizard was my brother of course, the Prince looked at the paltry bread and ate it without comment,

"This is all well and good, but I wish to be escorted home."  
"Where to? I could arrange a carriage with a bird cage."  
"Watch your tongue m'lady…"  
"Jokes, Prince Craven."

The bird looked not at all amused, "I wish to be brought back to the glorious Craven Kingdom, at first light. Post haste."

"I'm afraid…I have never heard of that kingdom before."  
"…what? What!? You dare insult me!?"

I held my hands when he looked even more angry,

"I mean no insult…but I've not heard of it."  
"…how long…have I been in that crystal?"  
"…I don't know." I was genuinely concerned, "What year were you born?"  
"Hatched. What is it, m'lady."  
"…2018, my Prince."

Prince Craven staggered back, "…I was…1700 was when the war started I was…no…NO!"

Lizard stalked closer, I held up a hand,

"Prince Craven what's wrong?"  
"My kingdom I fear for it…I wish to see if it still stands."

I obliged the request.

.

"WHAT IS THIS!?" Prince Craven cried, I and Lizard stood from a good distance away from Pigeon Kingdom, this was the prince's directions to take.

"That's Pigeon Kingdom, that's been their home since—!" "THEY STOLE IT FROM US!" Prince Craven cawed.

"Jealous petty birds! They are no nobility! We of the Craven Murder Conspiracy are true nobility given by the Runners Kingdom!"

"Your name is terrifying and who are the runners?"

Prince Craven looked at me bitterly, "The Runners Kingdoms had the fastest footmen in all of Mewni; they didn't need horses they could outrun a Warnicorn no problem. We were their aids and closest allies! We send word over mountains and seas for them, we cherished them more like family than comrades…"

"How did they die?"  
"They were murdered!" Prince Craven said in clipped voice, "We made a powerful alliance but a group pigeons saw us Cravens as a bad representations of avian on Mewni. Said that our looks didn't make it easier for others to gain nobility and other rubbish, they disliked us because we could form up and fight individually if the situation arise. First they tried to oust us from the Runner's good grace. Then they tried to attack us indirectly, rolling rocks into our nests. Of course we were protected and smarter than them…until the King and Queen of Runners fell gravely sick and died. Their royal heir a prince had a pet pigeon…that's when things went down hill for all of us: the prince died too."

"…"  
"I knew something was up, after catching one pigeon I wrung out an answer: it was their doing."  
"I have a question: how come you can talk?"  
"Why shouldn't I?"

I pointed at the kingdom.

"Only Richard Pigeon can."  
"Only him…? Oh. OH. So that's how they muzzled it up. Did any of them could speak before?"  
"No, not in recent memory."  
"Pox ridden birds! So that's how they are playing it…let me guess…they made it taboo to speak Mewman tongue?"  
"…yes."

Prince Craven gave an ugly caw, "THEY DID SPEAK IN MY TIME! So they said it was taboo so they could cover up their ugly ascension to royalty! And Mewni did nothing?! They didn't investigate!? Faithless curs! Worse: traitors! BURN TO THE GROUND MEWNI!"

Prince Craven shrieked into the sky.

"I went for help after we fell…my family fighting courageously until they were swarmed by those rats with wings! I flew to anyone to stop the pigeons from jumping from my kingdom into pecking Runner citizens, oh no they didn't stop at the knights and soldiers…unarmed man, woman and child became their targets too. They wanted the entire affair…SILENCED. Then he came…they told him lies no doubt…Rhombulus…he will meet his end in playing his role, dimwitted he may be…but he should have known! MEWNI HAS BETRAYED MY KINGDOM! MY FAMILY! MEEE!"

I saw a fire, real fire in the Prince's eyes.  
He was the one.  
I needed him on my side.

I knelt near him, "Prince Craven…do you desire vengeance?"  
His yellow eyes looked into mine, "Do you doubt it."

I smiled.

"Mewni betrayed me too…I am Mewman but I wasn't born: I was made. From a frothing blood pit I was spat out of. So was my brothers. So was my sister. They wanted us as weapons disregarding our Mewmanity. Nefon didn't make it. Lizard they…addled him. They stole my brother Spider. You and I are one in the same. Let us punish Mewni. Let us avenged what we lost."

Prince Craven looked at the outstretched hand, a talon cut into my palm before he offered his leg for her to do the same, I smiled and made a similar mark on him.

"Mewni will know our wrath, Darcy."  
"They will never forget it…my Prince."

.

Prince Craven insisted upon immediate attack.  
I objected.  
His anger way understandable however he reluctantly agreed to let me case the plan of attack.  
We were few but all strong, we just needed an opportune time to attack.

And two days later it came when a good amount of pigeons went out to forage for food.  
Knowing they would be gone till dusk we made our move.

Pigeon Kingdom was attacked later that day.  
The setting sun cast a bloody orange tinge on our approach.

Their flock came down on us three, an arrow got the rest roused but it was a paltry force, Lizard razor tumble into them rending them apart like rotisserie chicken. They came out in force afterwards, I drew up my bow and shot any messenger pigeons down whilst the two tore down the front.

Lizard and I tore through the front doors and the pigeons combined to greet us, it was the Prince's turn, he whir up and suddenly static electricity rolled over him and he electrify the flock, any that still foolishly resisted he crushed their skulls with his talons. We rend our way through the castle until we found ourselves in the throne room.

King and Queen Pigeon stared at us, eyeing Lizard with shock.

"I have returned for my kingdom!" Craven crowed, the two royals flapped their wings indignant at the claim. He ignored them and calmly hopped up the dais, despite his calm posture I could feel the roiling hate within him.

The two royalty felt it too and looked even more cowed at the presence.

"Do you deny it? Deny that this is not yours?" Craven spun around, his wings out in full display yet the two remained silent, not even a coo. Craven eyed them with disdain as did I, my bow was ready to shoot them down but I wanted the Prince to savor his victory…his loyalty solidified to me.

"What, can't—"

Prince Richard came crashing down from above with his legs.  
Prince Craven went white with shock at the sight.

"You dare attack our kingdom!? Answer us knaves who would be so bold!"  
"You…you defiler! Those legs! I know them! They are of the Runner Kingdom! WHAT HAVE YOU DONE TO THEM, YOU MOCK THEM EVEN IN DEATH!?"

Richard and the rest blinked in surprise before the King and Queen cooed, Rich Pigeon looked at them confused, "What? Craven? What is that?"

"I AM CRAVEN! I AM PRINCE CRAVEN! SON TO KING CROW AND QUEEN RAVEN, THE FIRST OF THE HOLY UNION BETWEEN TWO KINGDOMS! And your forefathers killed my people and our allies; lied and covered it up! I WILL HAVE YOUR HEADS, BETRAYERS!"

Without warning Craven shot forward at Richard slamming him out of his legs and into the wall, the King and Queen shrieked but I notched a special arrowhead that burst open into a net over them and Lizard in blinding speed smeared any pigeons ready to take flight across the shit stained floor.

Out of the holes in the walls, more pigeons burst in but Craven slammed Richard alongside his parents, his raptor foot easily covering the prince's head, "How much do you love your prince? King and Queen?"

The pigeons cooed angrily.  
Craven laughed and squeezed on Richard.

"Come any closer and you will find yourself leaderless and their precious noble bloodline lost to the four winds, I'll kill them all; you know I will~"

"Stand…down…" Rich managed to gasp.

Craven looked at the three with disdain, I held the royal couple down as Lizard had a handful of claws and tail out wagging for more carnage. The pigeons cooed one last time before becoming docile at the threat.

"From this point forth, you answer to me…" Craven crowed, "If I have any reason to believe you sent out a message to the other kingdoms, I will crush your puny royals to pieces and feast upon them as they did to my people."

One brave pigeon readied to take off but Craven already saw this and easily snapped Rich Pigeon's leg, he cooed to the rafters before slumping, prone.

"LET THIS BE A REMINDER TO YOU ALL: DO NOT TEST MY CONVICTION."

The pigeons obviously cowed, lowered their heads.  
I leaned over and whispered, "It's a good thing these fuckin' birds can't speak a lick of Mewman." "Yes…something I am quite grateful for."

Craven looked down on the royalty.  
Righteous fury in his eyes.

"Your rulers scaled royalty without honor by murder and trickery; now you will all pay for it."

.

I traveled to Spiderbite alone, Lizard stayed with Prince Craven, while I doubt the pigeons would retaliate it didn't bode well if he suddenly died on me, I quite liked the guy so I posted some sentinels just to be sure. That done, I traveled to my birth kingdom with all haste, driving my horses to death and snuck in.

The kingdom had been fortified again since my last visit, I guess I upset the rulers but I cared little, what was going to happen would leave no room for discussion.

I took the shape of an unassuming Mewman and blended in, I waited at an inn until dark before I scaled the castle and got inside, taking the shape of a maid and hurried past the staff.

Knights.  
Guards.  
Squires.  
I could crush their puny little necks.  
But then I needed them. For now.

I got to the kitchen and took a pitcher and spilled a powder packet into it and hurried along, no one was giving me a second glance…yet. I poured it in every unattended pitcher I saw, any cup or such that someone would drink out of.

Finally I reached the throne room, the King was there with a squad of knights, I smiled and hurried to his side, his goblet was empty,  
"M'lord would you like some refreshing water?"

He gave me a glance and gruffly nodded, I poured him his fill and bowed.  
I turned just as the doors opened again.  
The whore walked in and froze in mid-step.

I smiled as I hurried down the dais and curtsy to her, she looked at me strangely, "Good evening, _my Queen_." I showed her my eyes, brightly shining.

She looked ready to pass out.  
I smiled and moved for the door, " _Come with me or he dies. Do it…naturally_."

I waited in the hallway before she came after me a moment later, I could see her hand clasp on her sash. Oh, goodie, she had a knife.

I smiled and pointed, "Let's talk privately." "YES. LET'S."

She led the way and as soon as I walked through the door, I coughed as she plunge the knife into my throat and grabbed it, blinking as blood gushed out. The queen twisted it, "You think you can threaten me in my own kingdom? My own castle?! You will die! DIE. DIE YOU FILTH."

It was an odd sensation.  
Dying.  
I fell to the floor and the Queen grabbed a mace off the wall and smashed my face in.

Queen Spiderbite stared at the body, she grabbed a nearby torch and crossed the room for the window opening it,

"Gotta burn this body as soon as possible!"

"Really now? Can't we talk about it~?"

She dropped the torch and it harmlessly charred the stone floor.  
She spun and saw me sitting on the floor wiping blood off my face, my head cavity slowly healing.

"How—how!?"  
"Not telling~ but now you know…you can't kill me so easily." I pulled the knife out of my throat and threw it out the window.

The queen was ready to scream her head off but I crossed the distance and clapped my bloody hands over her mouth.

"Nuh-uh~ no screaming…not yet." I grew my teeth out and bit her shoulder, drawing blood, she thrashed but I drank her rancid blood in hearty gulps. I threw her aside and I felt my body change, I touched my throat feeling it heal, as did my head.

Honestly, if I didn't drink Lizard's blood, I would have died and I wouldn't be so arrogant.  
But in my position, I could afford to be~

I drew back as the queen looked at me with utter hatred, hand clamp on her flesh wound, I smiled warmly to her,  
"Careful, looks can kill~"  
"I'll kill you." She raised a hand and swung.

I chuckled, holding her wrist tightly, my eyes turning a harsh green and I leaned forward, "I'd watch my tongue bitch. I just poisoned half of your castle and your husband _juuust_ drank some poisoned water. Sure it will take some time…but can he live without his liver and kidneys?"

She looked at me between angry and shock, "Good~ now I'll be moving in, royalty suite by the way."

The queen looked horrified by my words.

"Oh, by the by, I will be taking over your position as queen when I feel like it."

I grabbed my face and pulled hard, ripping skin off the queen hopped back in disgust and surprise, my mangled face grinned at her before skin grew over it, an identical one to her own.

"That won't be a problem right, bitch~? Don't give me a reason to meet your—our darling princess~"

I laughed, even the voice was her own.  
And in her voice and image, I would stir up some real mischief~

* * *

 **Month 8** Darcy Strikes Back **  
**

* * *

I became the Queen's aide and followed her around.  
With the threat I made on the King and princess, she made every attempt to keep me on her sights. Going as far as keep me asleep on an adjacent bedroom to her own.

As if that would tip her off when I snuck out at night.  
Tangling with the Iron Bull Spiders.  
Smashing their eggs.  
Pissing them off~

 **[Morning]**

The queen was bushed with complaints from abnormal spider activity.  
I smirked.  
"Since you're going to be doing this all day…I'm going for a walk~ Don't do anything stupid while I'm gone."

I wagged a little bottle and tucked it in my dress.  
She gritted her teeth.  
It was poison. Her husband was perfectly fine. But she didn't need to know that.  
And so did the other kingdoms about me. Now Pigeon and Spiderbite has gone dark~

All the commotion was two fold: keep the whore occupied. And I finally got contact from Prince Craven: he finally subjugated the Pigeon Kingdom to his talons. I advised him on some tactics, I read the letter from the runner that he threw half of kingdoms eggs off the walls, then threaten to replace them with his own.

I giggled when he angrily scrawled,  
 _I would never push my noble bloodline upon my enemies…that is a fantasy of a pox-addled bird. I have more respect for myself than that…though I lament none might want my hatchlings. I do not wish to be like my enemies…_

I sighed at Prince Craven's thoughts…I shook myself from my daze: Lizard was on his way to me already; I had to meet him away from the kingdom…Lizard and Marco shared face…it would not bode well for my plan.

I took my sister and we went for Jagged Mountain Kingdom.  
Along with the posse of mercs that followed Lizard arranged by Craven.

I looked at the formidable defenses, Lizard got a delayed command from me that would activate in half an hour, just enough time to scale the defenses.

"What if you get caught?" a merc asked, greenhorn most likely.  
Instead of snapping at him, I shrugged answering nonchalantly.

"I'll show them my tits, then stab them in the face."  
"What if they aren't into that!" another snickered.  
"Then I'll show them my dick." I shot back before I stealthily climbed up, growing myself claws, ignoring the shocked faces.

I followed the tour path I was shown weeks prior and scaled another peak, I had about another minute before the mercs would bombard the front and begin the raid. I reached the summit just in time as the front exploded; one firebomb barrel going off got the defenders to rush in abandoning their post for me to slip in this particular peak.

The Jagged Mountain's Secret Weapon: the Missile Ballistae.  
When I visited, I did the usual combing through the kingdom's secrets; sifting through misleading paper trails and top-secret documents.

It was a marvel of a weapon, to think they were dozens more in case of civil unrest and war! Oh, everyone would be in for a surprise~  
I spied several explosive barrels strapped to a lone ballistae missile; it looked as if they were planning on testing it! How wonderful: so was I.

I looked for a target maybe the castle? That would give the royals a good scare!  
No.  
That was much too predictable…

I sighed and glanced down seeing the itty-bitty minions of mine scrambling all over the place, as much as they were expendables, I needed them a bit longer…  
If not down…then up.

I felt a feral grin split my face as the Cloud Kingdom floated above, they were so high that no arrow could hope to hit them.  
Until now~

I dragged the missile into the contraption, while it looked rudimentary I quite liked it and reading upon the plans beforehand I quickly got the gist of it. I cranked the lever and the oil-slick gears moved the ballistae for the perfect trajectory before I pulled back the draw, my muscles ached but I pulled harder until the trigger was set.

Sweat poured down my bodice as the fighting below began to grow dimmer, I had to move!  
I looked at the crosshairs before making the final adjustments before I yanked on the lever.

With a mighty 'THWACK' I was thrown off the ballistae!  
Briefly I watched as the missile shoot into the night sky, while aerodynamic the friction it did produce ignited the missile. I watched eagerly as the missile simply became a trailing glowing ember…

An enormous scarlet explosion lit up the night sky, so bright it dwarfed the stars!  
No doubt everyone seen it in Mewni!  
I smiled victoriously as the dark cloud made a downward plummet—right for Spiderbite!?

"FUCK!" I seethed, it was unnaturally loud!  
All the fighting had stopped below!

I looked for a way down from the spire when something stopped me cold:  
I wasn't alone.

My eyes fell upon the two interlopers walking up the stairs from a balcony:  
Jagged Mountain Princess and—her suitor? Fuck.  
The two teenagers froze at the sight of a shadow-drenched figure at their favorite rendezvous.  
No time for finesse: I attacked.

I kicked the guy over the railings, screaming as he fell before I grabbed the princess, a knockout pin ready. I needed these little prince and princess to be under my bidding, they were too important to kill.

The pin bent on her skin.  
I stared.

Next thing I knew I was uppercut back into the ballistae room, Princess Jaggs Jaggy stomped into the room, tears in her eyes, "HE—HE—I'LL KILL YOUUU!"

I whirlwind to my feet and cracked my neck: fine, I could make do with one less royal.  
She held up her dukes and threw her punches, her dress snagged and she was woefully uncoordinated; letting her rage and loss fuel her actions. I evaded, but never taunt her: she just lost a loved one, I could respect that.

Once the royal had blown through her emotional steam, she became quite terrified at being alone with me…her fear was succulent, I only smiled wider, my teeth longer and sharp. I looked at her skin, tough and leathery; I wonder…

Jaggs stepped back before she bolted, damn bitch could run!  
I leapt on her back and raked my claws over her back, tearing through fabric, she screamed and tried to roll me off before I sunk my teeth into her shoulder.

Thick Skin!  
I pulled back as she tried to hit me desperately before I closed my fist and punched her in the back of the head, slamming her into the floor and leaving a dent.

I bit again only to find it wasn't working.  
Fuck, it was thick and hard!  
I couldn't get it good with my mouth…

I tried to cut her elsewhere with my claw but it didn't amount to much.  
No Monster I had eaten had talons sharp enough to cut! Only the jaws of the Monster shark-merman would do…

I grew a talon and stabbed the side of my mouth, I resisted the urge to clench my teeth and dragged it to my lips, blood poured out of the self-inflected wound before doing the same to the other side, my maw hung out more loosely…

I cut strands of fleshy fiber still connecting my mouth until it was completely unhinged.  
Then I grew out the serrated razor sharp teeth, much too big if I was using my normal Mewman mouth.  
And I crunched down on the princess, drawing hot blood. She woke and screamed deliriously, but I didn't let up even as she bunched up her fist and punched me, again and again. I bit only harder and she cried, screaming for me to let go! For her parents!

Oh, what a child!

One bite was good enough…  
But then I just kept making more love marks~ here and there.

Licking my lips at my handiwork, I pulled off her as she weakly scrambled away from me, clutching herself, she threw a fearful backward glance before she ran down the stairs as I stood there, jaw unhinged and teeth fit for a demon, blood drenched and eyes brimming with manic glee.

"I'll see _youuu_ later love~" I managed to say despite my maw.

I chuckled raking my claws across my arm, seeing it neither bleed nor redden.  
Whatever the princess had…flowed in my veins!  
I licked my lips…I wanted more~

I walked back to where I snuck in seeing a blistering red streak stretching to the horizon…  
I quite liked the scene:  
Kingdoms would burn by my name alone.  
And hOPe will be rise from the ashes.

"I'll make Mewni great again~" as my flesh knit itself back.

.

The queen screamed at me upon my arrival back.  
Going up and down about a flaming Cloud Kingdom nearly smearing the kingdom off the map and was hovering precariously over the ocean south of Spiderbite.  
Atop of Kelpbottom Kingdom.  
I wasn't having none of that and I threw her in the dungeon, ripping away her crown.

"WHAT THE FUCK DO YOU THINK YOU'RE DOING!?"  
"Running my kingdom, bitch~ what does it look like?"

She sneered at me, "Everyone will see through it! My husband would too! My daughter!"

I laughed, "Not if he's in coma! And your daughter, oooh~ the plans I have for her."

She looked at me, ready to flung every curse and profanity she knew, no doubt.

But none came I grew curious over the pause.  
She looked conflicted for a moment, before looking at me as if realizing something,  
"…you were a mistake."

I looked at her, tired and stress-riddled; her blue eyes betraying nothing:  
she truly regretted making me.  
I felt an enormous serpent of loathing uncoil inside of me.

"A little too late." I said it without any banter. Any mirth or taunt.  
I thought I was beyond whatever the queen could say to me, after what she had done and taken from me…  
But this… _hurt me_.  
More than she would ever know…

 **[Morning]**

"My loyal subjects, hear me!" I proclaimed loudly standing out on the balcony of the castle, the King and Princess looking at me strangely, "I know you're all shocked and unsure of the situation: Cloud Kingdom has fallen within our borders and that of Kelpbottom Kingdom."

"What are we to do?!"  
"This has to violate some treaty right?!"  
"The sky is falling!"

I waited for my subjects to succumb to confusion and uncertainty, "Rest assured, this will be sorted out, nothing ill will become of this; you have my word~"

I looked up to the sky, watching as several Pigeons sent by Craven disappear into the distance…killing any messenger, destroying communication towers and outposts alongside my mercs and Lizard, sending these kingdoms into the dark…

No one would be coming.

.

Now to tip the corn cart~  
I had a lot of fun in the forest and the critters enjoyed it too from forest floor to cobblestone streets, chasing me well into the Spiderbite Kingdom,

"YOU WANT YOUR VILE EGGS?! GO GET THEM!" I roared after I climbed the highest coastal structure and threw several egg sacs into Cloud Kingdom in the stroke of midnight, I groaned feeling my arm dislocate for such a throw. But I watched nonetheless as hundreds of Iron Bull Arachnids leapt and spun webs slings or parachutes and fell upon the kingdom. Of course, I was ignored, what was one Mewman to their eggs?

I caught one spider and broke its legs before tearing its mandibles and sinking my teeth into it. It was thirsty work when it came to setting up misery~

I watched as Cloud Kingdom lit up, playing host to angry spiders, breaking into cloud homes in search of eggs while the pony heads attacked in confused panic. I laughed when Kelpbottom joined in from the chaos as pieces of Cloud Kingdom descend into the murky depths, they already obscured them overhead, this was insult to injury~

.

"What do you mean it's out of your hands!?"  
"King Ponyhead, please understand, we live alongside these beasties, we have no control over them." I said coolly as the floating head looked positively livid in the meeting room in Spiderbite,  
"We can't positively pay for damages we didn't cause just because—y'know _proximity_."  
"WHAT!?"

I held back a shit-eating grin as I looked at the other royals.

"Ah, King Kelpbottom, Queen Kelpbottom, you can't hold Cloud Kingdom responsible for damages either, they were under siege. What would you have—"  
"HOW ABOUT NOT BEING HERE?! OR ABOVE US!? AND WHY DO YOU THINK YOU HAVE FINAL SAY!?"  
"IT'S NOT OUR FAULT! WE WERE SHOT AT! SOMEONE BROUGHT OUR KINGDOM LOW! WE MIGHT AS WELL CRASHED INTO THE OCEAN AND KILLED YOU IF NOT FOR US OVERLOADING THE CLOUD MATRIX! YOU SHOULD THANK US!"

The royals bickered while I sat back, absorbing the information and relishing the chaos, my hubby and daughter watched on frighten, I quite _insisted_ they watched things unfold.  
I loved the terror in their eyes as their 'wife' and 'mother' fanned embers for war.

"WHO IS THE CULPRIT!"  
"WHO THREW THE SPIDER EGGS!?"  
"If I might interject." The pissed royals looked at me, "Why not find who put us three in this predicament: Who shot down Cloud Kingdom? Surely none of us has anything capable of one shot another kingdom…right?"

King Ponyhead look apprehensive at my angle, King and Queen Kelpbottom likewise…  
After all, they did have weapons of mass destruction for times like this~  
I was for Spiderbite after all~

"Perhaps we should reconvene when we are feeling more amicable?"  
"…fine."  
"...be quick about it"

I sighed at the cease of hostilities.  
On to the next target~

.

"Oh, Nefon thank Mewni you're here."  
"Likewise, I've heard terrible rumors, tell me it's not—"  
"It is, someone attacked my daughter! Oh, why?" the Jaggy Mountain royals lamented.

I feign shock as the royal profusely chitter.  
I was hoping they would divulge their weapon! Naughty Jaggy Mountain~!

"But why attack your daughter? You don't have enemies…"  
"It's sad to say…but I think the other kingdoms have been quite angry with my kingdom…I heard that Kelpbottom-Cloud-Spiderbite are in some mess too. To think Cloud would fall between two kingdom's borders…and to think Pigeon Kingdom has been harrying travelers almost all the way to the Johansen Clan! No kingdom has been able to get near them much less a messenger no matter how hard they tried! It's as if they turned rabid!"

Oh, damn, my face was so hard to keep in feign surprise when I wanted to grin so badly! Ah, Craven you never cease to amaze~ doing exactly what I wanted even without saying a word!  
I really must have him help me in an upcoming endeavor…his thrill of theatrics makes me swoon~

"But why would kingdoms target you? Sorry, lets focus on your woes first, we can talk about the others later."  
"…yes, that would be prudent…I believe it started when we took Marco Diaz's side in the Peace Talker Incident. I and Kelpbottom believe we were in the wrong but the other kingdoms thought otherwise, we tried to be amicable but they refused to talk so we closed borders in fear of retaliation, violent retaliation…I think it has come to that…"

I nodded my head, intrigued after all.

"Was this Peace Talker Incident…need to know? Sorry, only for your ears?"

The royal looked uncertain for a moment, "Let's just say…we thought Marco did the right thing…took the right course of action…against Eclipsa Butterfly."  
"…she's alive?" this was a legitimate question.  
"Can I trust this will not leave your lips?"

I looked at the hand before me.  
"I solemnly swear that it will." With the backstabbing I have done…I took this to heart. Ironic.

"She's alive and Marco defeated her, a powerful Butterfly unlike any before or after her, Dark Magic is her crux, bar none. He still prevailed and could have killed her but he abstained believing she was innocent until proven guilty. He has proven he is just, using his powers in restrained measure; had it been someone else they could have forced us to do their bidding but he relented, he gave us a chance to prove we are capable leaders…and we threw it back to his face. We have…sully our honor…I don't hate him for what he chose to do."

Wow.  
That is some mad street rep, Marco…if I didn't know any better I'd think the King and Queen were deep throating you, dick and balls~

"And the Pendragon Sword choosing him well…why shouldn't it?"  
"Wait…what is that?"  
"Oh. It's an ancient relic of Mewni. I think it went to him, an Earthling because no Mewman no longer qualifies for it with all this fails we have committed. Poetic, if not rightful deserved."

Interesting.  
It seems that I would need one if I were to combat Marco…one day.

"I see. It seems _communication_ is key to this problem, you don't talk enough, yelling at each other seems to be better alternative than not talking at all. I heard that the three kingdoms in question are going to convene in Spiderbite…"

They stared at me.  
"Why would we need to be present?"  
"…" I restrained myself from narrowing my eyes, they didn't want to be there, interesting…  
"For solidarity. You said that Kelpbottom agreed with you on the Peace Talker Incident, so I figured _maybe_ you want to be there for them."

The mountain royal looked apprehensive at the offer.  
Oho, they were afraid. That will not do, I need you there, whether you like it or not.

"If it makes you feel any better, I'll be attending the meeting as well. Someone to be arbiter of sorts, I'll keep my opinions to myself unless asked or feel if I must interject." I coaxed.  
"…that is…comforting to know you will be there. Thank you, Nefon, we will make an appearance if it will stave off more complications. You've been a tremendous help, listening is a forgotten skill as of late."  
"Oh, think nothing of it. I'm happy to lend an ear~"

.

I pushed the queen along, she looked at me in surprise and anger,  
"Where the hell are you taking me?!"  
"Oh. A meeting. Here's your crown and a gown. Try to look…royal for once." I snickered; she'd been in a dungeon for a few days now, out of the loop and positively on the wire.

Oh, this would be good~

I took form of Nefon while she hurriedly put on her clothes, crown and briefly looked at the mirror and saw a mess she was, "I want a makeup kit." "A washbasin. That's it."

She washed her face and dried, she combed her hair and put on the crown, she looked clean at least.

"Have fun~" and the doors swung open.

The Queen shot her family a look of concern, they looked back frighten unknown to her they watched 'her' literally get royals steaming. Jaggy Mountain royals looked at her forebodingly, King Pony Head was miffed alongside his daughter who bothered to show up, Kelpbottom royals who were just plain angry and showed it.

I just smiled as the scene unfolded,

It started amicable at first.  
Each one throwing out their plate of complaints.  
The Queen sat there confused.  
I gave the whore the briefest on explanations to keep up the charade. Prodding her along.

It was coming along quite well.  
Then came the finger pointing:  
Who attacked who?  
Who stand to gain?  
How could this have happened?  
Who was behind it all?  
Who was to blame for such a crisis?

"It could have been—!"  
"We were the ones attacked!"  
"If it weren't for Cloud Kingdom—!"  
"Try having your kingdom shot out of the sky—sea!"  
"Your debris fell upon us causing significant damages! Compensation—!"  
"Do not talk about compensation when Spiderbite's beasts came and wreck—!"  
"I have no idea what you're talking about! They stay in the forest and only minute size ones—" "They came from your kingdom's wall and rampage through my kingdom! You are responsible!"

I smiled evilly and quickly interjected.

"C'mon now, surely this Cloud Matrix could simply short-circuit and descended: dangerously—"  
"And I'm telling you there is no way! NONE! Someone attacked my kingdom! THAT IS A FACT!"

King Pony Head heatedly insisted, "Even you Nefon must see that is true!"  
I spread my hands open,

"But Cloud Kingdom is way up in the sky! Ok—OK, say you're right and someone did attack you: they have to be on an awfully high place to even get such a vantage! And what would they hit you with? An oversized slingshot? A bow and arrow?" I said the last part almost comically.

Then.  
I waited for the royals to think the worse~

"No one has that kind of weapon or…vantage…?"  
"…no."  
"…oh no."

The room slowly turned to Jaggy Mountain.  
They had turned sheet white.

"What?" I asked before I slowly looked at Jaggy Mountain, a look of realization dawning on my face, "Jaggy Mountains…what are your primary form of defense? Other than knights, of course."

"…" their lips were closed.  
Spiderbite Queen looked at everyone, she understood the situation well enough but missing some crucial information made the implication to what she said next sent Mewni on fire,  
"It's ballistae. On mountains."

That alone sent the entire room in an uproar.

"Just because they could—"  
"LIES!"  
"YOU THINK I WOULD—THE AUDACITY! SPIDERBITE HOW DARE YOU!" Jaggy Mountain King roared, the chair flung back as he stood his wife soon joining, "MY KINGDOM WAS ATTACKED BY RAIDERS! MY DAUGHTER WAS ATTACKED BY A FIEND! I AND MY WIFE WILL NOT BE SUBJECT TO THESE BASELESS ACCUSATIONS!"

"Is that why, Jaggs…?" Spiderbite Princess looked mortified.  
Pony Head Princess's jaw dropped.

The two princesses were ignored in favor of the Jaggy Mountains glaring at them all, the Queen quite aware she just said had done. Her eyes darted to me, I shied closer, discreetly whispering,  
"Go on…tell them it's me…I want to see how it goes~ and the questions, where could they lead? BACK TO YOU. Let's have three angry kingdoms scour you off the map."

The Queen felt a shiver down her spine and stood up, "That's enough! If we start fighting and pointing fingers at each other—we'll just do whoever caused all of this what they want!"

"That's asking a lot." Hissed Kelpbottom, "I don't see you suffering anymore than usual!"

"I know—I KNOW! We are all tense and angry and confused—but we can't run ourselves like this! If our citizens see us like this—it'll be madness! We ALL have grievances but for now let's leave the perpetrator—"  
"LIKE HECK WE WOULD! THEY ATTACKED MY DAUGHTER!"

The Queen inhaled and calmly finished,  
"…aside for now and get Cloud Kingdom back on high and keep our citizens and kingdoms calm! What do you need, King Pony Head?" the Queen spoke quickly, pulling everything in her mind to keep things from going overboard.

I was mildly impressed.

The royals glared at one another.  
But slowly they sat back down and calmed, King Pony Head sighed and closed his eyes for a moment,

"The Matrix will need time to repair and power, maybe a month or two and we'll be airborne."  
"Is there any way we can help?"  
"No. Just…just keep your beasties away from us so we can work. Kelpbottom, I understand you'll be most affected."  
"…yes, but perhaps that can be remedied…if you will allow us to move beyond kingdom borders and international waters we can stave off most discomfort."

The royals talked more and more how to handle the situation; sometimes they quarrel other times they compromise.  
This was truly heartwarming~  
For them.

I caught the eye of the Queen, despite narrowly dodging a bad situation she couldn't be humble and look away.  
She smirked at me.  
BITCH.

I tucked some bangs behind my ear.  
My earring flicking light to the ceiling.  
A messenger Pigeon whom Craven sent me shivered in the rafters understood the signal. It flew out of the opening above, circled and entered from the open window.

Looking nothing out of the ordinary.

Dropping a thick scroll on the table.  
A wax seal on it bearing a scroll, an Informant insignia.

The royals blinked at the sudden invasion of avian.  
"Was that…a Pigeon?"  
"QUICK CATCH IT!"  
"Hey. What is that?"  
"Huh. That would be mine. Looks to be from a source." I walked over and picked it up, examining the seal, the royals getting a good look at it before I cracked it and unfurl it.

I feign reading it before I unceremoniously dropped it, my face pale.

"Dear Mewni…"  
"What?"

I strategically made sure I was near Kelpbottom so they picked it up first, their eyes bugled out as it contained a few lines but it was a report of a missile being seen launched from Jaggy Mountain into the sky and exploding.

"This…this is…"  
"What?! SPIT IT OUT ALREADY!"

Kelpbottom showed it on the table, besides the scant report:  
A picture of the ballista Jaggy Mountain was constructing was expertly drawn.  
From my memory~

"…"  
"…oh bleeding Mewni."  
"Jaggy Mountain…tell me…"  
"Where…where did you…?" they started before they stopped.

I looked at them, "Is this…any of this…true?"  
They said nothing, their eyes glued to the scroll.  
Recognition, all the other royals saw it all over their face.

King Pony Head looked at them in disbelief.  
"You…shot my kingdom?"  
"No…no…NO! This is—!"  
"IS IT TRUE OR NOT!?"  
"OF COURSE NOT!"

I looked royally offended,  
"I'm a liar? I'll have you know I am a _professional_."  
I put as much edge into my voice.

The Jaggy Mountain looked at me, shock and in disbelief; they stammered an apology whilst I feign the look of betrayal.

They looked at everyone and firmly insisted,  
"WE DID NOT ATTACK CLOUD KINGDOM."

"Fine." I said coolly, "But this ballistae does exist right?"  
"No, it doesn't."  
"Oho? So then…the Spiderbite Queen and myself are liars too? Or…" I paused ominously, "You're lying: you _have_ this weapon…why would you ever need one for?"

Jaggy Mountain froze.

"Why, are…? We—"  
"No point hiding it: we all saw your face. You recognized it."

The two royals sat there.  
All eyes on them.

"…where did you get your sources."  
"Trade secret. Informant Code." I said tersely.  
"They are unreliable."  
"I say otherwise, you seem quite troubled by it. Indicant even."

They said nothing.  
The room was painfully quiet.  
The tension quite palpable.

Suddenly, King Pony Head rose up,  
"They don't have to say a word: they attacked us, plain and simple. Without warning and without preamble."

"What reason do we have to attack you!?" Queen Jaggy exclaimed.  
"YOU TELL ME: YOU SHOT MY KINGDOM DOWN AND NEARLY SMOTHERED KELPBOTTOM TOO! ONE MISSILE FOR THE PRICE OF TWO KINGDOMS!"

Kelpbottom looked disturbed at the notion, they looked at the Jaggy Monarchs with searching eyes. Were they mere inches away from being killed by their own supposed ally too? When Jaggy Mountain said nothing, it made the picture even bleaker for the monarchy,

"WE HAVE ENOUGH PROOF AS IT IS. INCRIMINATING, I MIGHT ADD!" King Pony Head shaking his massive head and faced the Jaggy Mountain Kingdom; Princess Pony Head was deathly quiet.

"Article X, Section III, Clause I;  
I, King Pony Head monarch of Cloud Kingdom, on the grounds of unwarranted attack, endangerment of heirs and state,  
DECLARE WAR ON JAGGY MOUNTAIN KINGDOM."

The two Jaggy Mountain royals looked shocked at the declaration, they looked at Kelpbottom who looked torn at the words of King Pony Head.

"King Pony Head, please consider—" Spiderbite Queen looked terrified.  
"You. And Nefon. Twice, they have been caught! Yet they insist they had done nothing wrong!"

The two royals stood up, pale face,  
"This…this is wrong! Everything about this! We were attacked! Do not act as if you are the only one to suffer as of late!"  
"In light of what has happened, I question that!"  
"NEFON YOU'VE SEEN MY KINGDOM! YOU INSISTED WE COME HERE!"

I looked perplexed,  
"I did, but you also came for Kelpbottom. And having that weapon is entirely a different matter."

They looked at me horrified, finally realizing if they didn't come they would be suspected, if they did this would have happened. The former worse because if they didn't come for Kelpbottom in their time of need they ran the risk of alienating them; especially since the two of them were the only ones that sided with Marco. They were the odd ones out.

"…if you attack us on these false charges…THEN THE FULL MIGHT OF MY KINGDOM WILL DEFEND ITSELF!"

My eyes shifted to Kelpbottom, as did Jaggy Mountain.  
They looked hesitant to join in.

"Jaggy Mountain…"  
"Kelpbottom: we did not attack Cloud Kingdom. On our honor."

King Pony Head slowly turned to them.  
The aquatic Mewmans did not make eye contact.

"But could you?"  
"IS THAT ENOUGH PROOF? YOU CAN'T EVEN GIVE YOUR ALLIES A STRAIGHT ANSWER!"  
"Nay, they don't have to for we believe them all the same."

Everyone looked at Kelpbottom as the two stood up, scowling,  
"WE STAND ALONGSIDE OUR ALLY THE JAGGY MOUNTAIN MONARCHES. YOU WILL FIGHT US BOTH, CLOUD KINGDOM."  
Despite their words, they look meaningfully at Jaggy Mountains, no doubt wanting answers, maybe privately.

King Pony Head looked positively livid at the words nonetheless.  
He looked at the Queen.  
She slowly stood up, looking horrified,  
"I…I absolutely forbid you from waging war in my borders!"  
"THEY ARE IN MY BORDERS!"

The Queen looked at all the royals, she looked ready to have a heart attack,  
"YOU WILL NOT HAVE WAR HERE!"  
"OH? AND HOW ARE YOU GOING ENFORCE THAT CLAIM, SPIDERBITE?"

The Queen seriously looked like she was consider it.  
I spoke up, "Defensive warfare doesn't really work when an entire Kingdom is on your front porch, my Queen. Ah, and above your kingdom, Kelpbottom."

"I will not partake in this folly!" the Queen firmly spoke,  
King Pony Head snorted at the sentiment.

"You do not have to for I shall not be alone, I have allies too." He sneered.

Spiderbite watched helplessly as the royals filed out of the meeting room, I kept a neutral face as Jaggy Mountain and Kelpbottom glared at me shaking from head to toe and King Pony Head just ignore me.

King Spiderbite and the princess looked queasy and quickly left afterwards.  
Leaving me with the Queen.  
I smiled to myself.

"Feel like telling them about me?"  
"..." beautiful silence.  
"Didn't think so~"

.

The coming days the Queen tried and failed to send letters, envoys and messengers to the kingdoms to stop the hostilities, no matter how much she tried. However, she saw some luck with King Pony Head, seeing as communications were on the fritz, courtesy of myself they began to collude with each other.

I decided to leave the situation to her; after all she was already stoking the fires, just like Jaggy Mountain rolling out troops beyond their borders to contain their movements.

By now they realized that their communications were shot.  
Reports of Pigeons and raiders as the culprits made things more distressing as it seemed Pigeon had finally gone 'rogue' seen by the four kingdoms and joining the fray.

At first it was a stalemate, just moving here and there to impede.  
Boring stuff really…

So I helped~

Killing a patrol here.  
Dead body there.  
Leaving one in the kingdom.  
Impaled in a camp.  
Pigeon feeding frenzy over there.  
Getting a Spiderbite cannon to shoot a pier as merman Mewman dived for safety.

The constant build up of prods and pokes got the kingdoms wonderfully worked up!  
All the while the Queen remained quiet, knowing the consequences if she revealed it was I the culprit. Oh, she was too deep now, if I was some dumb animal she could have easily condemn me…but I can talk and I was too far-gone in power.

With Cloud still stuck above Kelpbottom, Spiderbite colluding with Cloud, Jaggy Mountain mobilizing and barricading the peninsula and a blockade of Pigeons stretching obscenely to keep Mewni divided as things heated up~

Oh?  
The Monster?  
They've been doing raids of their own~ with the upper kingdoms in turmoil and foraging being a lot harder since the Pigeons have been pecking every viable fruit, seed and crop to be fed they've gone to Mewman settlement to barter and trade at first. But with my rumors from months prior, oh they were mighty suspicious and coldly turned away.

Oh, but Monsters can't go hungry can they?

And the pillaging and raids began in earnest~  
I knew there were ways out of Mewni, I've ran into these 'Dimensional Scissors' so a surplus of goods could be smuggled in and all this could have been catastrophic, sooo I stole them! In guise of a Monster and Mewman to make things even more complicated to pin the culprit.

Soon even Monsters killed Monsters…Mewman turned on Mewman.  
It wouldn't be right if only the royals fought and died, even the lowly peasants and everyone in between must bleed for me…  
They all must partake in this Civil War…

* * *

 **Month 9** Mewni Legends : Darcy

* * *

Moon stared to the north of Mewni, dark clouds and foreboding shadows in the distance had become commonplace as of late. She could no longer ignore such a sight after reading reports of a flaming missile striking Cloud Kingdom and they fell over yonder, somewhere in the ocean.

She got a heavily botched transmission from King Pony Head screaming his head off as the kingdom descended before it went dark. She tried to contact Kelpbottom, Jaggy Mountain and Spiderbite and found the transmission dead, messengers and couriers were attacked by roosting Pigeon flocks including brigands and raiders of Mewman and Monster variety.

Essentially the North of Mewni were no longer accessible.  
Kelpbottom and Jaggy Mountain were fine since they were self-reliant but Cloud and Spiderbite? Oh, they would starve…

She tried to break through the blockade to no avail.  
Moon winced at the memory of her cutting a rift with Dimensional Scissors only to be transported leagues away from her destination, nearly surrounded and routed raiders.  
Before she could implement more ways to get through this predicament Nefon the Informant came to her kingdom's doorstep beaten and bleeding, she had came from the four kingdoms and spoke of her worst fear realized: Civil War had broken out between the four kingdoms.

"How could—how could you know?" Moon managed to wrangle her fears, Nefon looked at her meaningfully, "I risk life and limb to get here out of that place! Some of my agents have died getting me these reports!"

She flung blood splattered parchment on the table, Moon tentatively opened some and was filled with dismay seeing the reports some she recognized from said kingdoms in question, like propaganda and newsprint.

Moon touched her temple at the sight, "What happened, Nefon…" "…the reports I received points to Jaggy Mountain instigating the conflict as they struck down Cloud Kingdom leaving it in between Kelpbottom and Spiderbite, your highness. I was there when the talks went awry and now Spiderbite-Cloud Forces has come to blows with Jaggy Mountain-Kelpbottom Alliance."

"How could Jaggy Mountain do this…why?"  
"I do not know for certain."  
"…thank you for getting me these crucial information, Nefon. Please, you must be tired, you can retire in one of the suites if you like."  
"Thank you…that is most kind."

Moon watched Nefon walk away with a knight escort, her limp apparent, the Queen wait before she coughed and Hekapoo slid out of her hiding spot.

"…she's pretty brave to go through that blockade."  
"I don't know what connections Nefon has…but I couldn't so much as breach the line without being spotted or severely injured. The skies is swarmed by Pigeons, the waters is treacherous with sea Monsters, the land filled with raiders and marauders and going through the woodland is suicide."

Hekapoo looked disturbed,  
"Communication is dead whether conventional or traditional, my Scissors can't lock on either, I nearly found myself smashing into the side of a mountain!"  
"…I can't reach out to the kingdoms without severe consequence to myself and I can't send a battalion to breach the blockade, they'll be flanked from all sides and die. A messenger would fare no better…"  
"…perhaps the eagles?"  
"…no, River is too…fond of them. If harm came to them, he'll—it's best I don't include him."  
"…alright."

Moon could see the look on Hekapoo's face as she turned to leave,  
"…I do think there is one option we should consider, Queen Moon."  
"…which is?"  
"Marco. Whatever is interfering would mean little to his sword."  
"…no. Marco's made his choice. And we…made ours."

Hekapoo turned and looked at her, incredulous,  
"You're going to put Mewni in jeopardy over your pride?!"  
"Do you not think the other kingdoms would not do so? Listen Hekapoo: Mewni has faced turmoil before…and we got through it WITHOUT a Dark Knight."  
"…fine."

Hekapoo and Moon walked in separate directions.

.

Nefon lounged around the castle for three days, sometimes visited by the princess and other times she stretched her legs and walked around the castle with a knight escort. When it became apparent that she would be constantly supervised she tried to assist Moon in running the kingdom but Moon quickly put her foot down, insisting she knew what she was doing, much to Nefon's surprise.

Instead, she asked Nefon to put her Informant skills to use and asked her to ascertain from Monsters and Mewmans what had been going on beyond her kingdom's borders.

"You're well respected by both communities, any news would be welcomed, rumors even just to get a better idea of what's going on."  
"…by your command, Queen Moon."

Nefon walked out of the kingdom, her head high and her back straight.  
She chewed on words she very much wanted to say.

Nefon looked to the North and quietly contemplated her decisions that led up to this moment…

.

Whilst the four Kingdoms fought, I turned my attention to central Mewni: Butterfly and Johansen. The former more important than the latter, being the backbone of Mewni from years of yore, Butterfly Kingdom stood for years much longer than most kingdoms that rose and fall around it.

Still it was quite the undertaking for me but I had plenty of things on my side: mystique and misdirection of the situation. I scolded myself for thinking it would be sooo easy like with the _Queen_ …

But that was fine.  
I was acquainted with Moon Butterfly's prowess in negotiation and diplomacy before.  
If anything she was as good as me, Mewman terms not Monster, there I had her beat.  
With the sudden destruction of the Crimson Children, the Monsters were looking for the culprit and I was quiet on that regard, I needed the 'culprit' to act as a catalyst for my plans so I was coy with my answers.

To put simply: Moon Butterfly was a threat. She wasn't incompetent nor dim-witted like the rest of the royals. The only true royalty I found that earned the title of Queen, my recon of her kingdom showed that she wouldn't fall to paltry raids having magic on her side.

I know Moon would duel me once, single combat. But once she gathered what I was she would never do so again, bringing a posse and maybe even the Magic High Commission.  
Magic.  
I had none of my own.  
And that was the reason I left Moon last: MAGIC.  
How could I beat her if she were to use that oppressive force against me! Or run away if I were to gain the upper hand; plus her buck wild daughter was in the same magical caliber.

And Star Butterfly…  
Strange, I felt a—kinship, with her? Hmph, I don't know her that well, but I wouldn't rule out if I wasn't a genocidal maniac, we would be the best of friends.

Too bad I wasn't.  
Mewni is teetering on that pillar that Moon was.  
I have to send it crashing it down.

So I would play Moon's game…for now.  
And to be expected the Mewmans in the outer settlements were scared shitless, many of which clawed at my boots and hem for a kind word, hoping for a better tomorrow.

The same happened with the Monsters that trembled at the thought of war spreading from the North downwards, the little skirmishes claimed plenty of collateral already and the blockade slowly pushed into central Mewni. Oh, that gives me an idea~

I smiled to myself as I moved to the next settlement, just to show face and if I was being tailed, that I did what Moon asked. Could never be too careful with that Moon…

I went to the next settlement by a river.  
Did the usual rounds before I found myself in a predicament: when a lone Mewman cornered me.  
Or rather I followed him then he cornered me.

"…Nefon the Informant."  
"Yes, how can I help you?"  
"…you can't."  
"Mhmmm, then I must be on my way."

I said it.  
But I didn't turn my back.

He looked at me hard, as if trying to see through me,  
"…you're from Spiderbite…aren't you."  
"Is it my good looks?"  
"The lack of bites, your mannerisms, the way you talk even…it's as you are _trying_ to be Mewman. You nearly had me fooled too…if I didn't see—!"

I didn't let him finish.  
My eyes flashed from blue to green.  
His eyes widen.

He leapt back pulling out a folded bow with parchment tied to an arrow, in one fluid motion he fired it into the nearby forest just as I lunged forward, knife in hand. I made sure to twist the knife watching scarlet spurts as he staggered back over a picket fence and into the river.

I spun and looked for the arrow, calculating the trajectory.  
I ran for it and found the arrow slammed into a tree trunk.  
I stayed in the shadows, ready to fight and kill the intended recipient.  
But when no one came, I took the arrow and tore off the parchment:

 **SUCC MY COB**

"FUCK! HE PLAYED ME LIKE A DAMN—!"

I ran back to the river and following it downstream before it led to a massive lake, I cursed to high heaven, my mind racing on who could have sent him? WHO!?

My eyes fell upon the Butterfly Kingdom…  
.

I came back to the kingdom and gave Moon my report.  
Then informed her on a lead that I overhead and would investigate it.  
Her dismal was polite and I readily left, thanking her for her hospitality.

I quickly got a hold of Prince Craven and gathered a raid group, Lizard would get knights to move towards the blockade whilst the group and myself storm the castle.

The following sunset I let Lizard loose, watching as he got 20 odd knights chasing him before I led my own merry band.

They didn't get far.  
The defensive perimeter proved too much, Queen Moon you are most deserving of my caution.  
Nonetheless I got through, running at top speed through the town and into castle grounds, with a flock of Pigeons they flew into the castle grounds and peck the heck out of the knights, Moon and Star joined the fray soon afterwards.  
Perfect~

"Knights, battle stations!" Moon ordered.  
Star stared terrified as I tore forward, making sure I don a different face I collided with the princess.

Or least I hoped, instead I had Moon smite me sideways while the princess took out the harrying Pigeons.

RAINBOW FLOWER WHIRLWIND!  
DAISY CHAIN WHIPLASH!

I stood up facing Moon, thankfully I had Thick Skin applied so the blow was more annoying than painful.

"Queen Moon Butterfly," I adopted sophisticated airs, royalty would definitely throw her off, "I've come to put you—out of your misery." "Knave."

I chuckled before I tore into her spells, wincing before I smashed her into a wagon side, she made a magic sword from her bare hands and slashed me, I snarled feeling my flesh knit from the blow.

Still I wasn't going to give up over one hit.  
I roared when she struck me again.  
And again.

I felt blood saturate my clothes as I tried to get the better of Moon, she and I were definitely equals in combat prowess but her damn magic kept nicking me! I found myself on the defensive and evasive, fuck! I rolled away from a blast, tired of being pushed back by her and grabbed the ruined wagon, Moon looked ready for it—fine, but did you count on THIS!?

I chuck the wagon at Star instead; she knocked out another Pigeon and fired at the wagon alongside her mother, a brilliant explosion followed. I leapt on the Queen's back at the chance, growing my teeth, she took off immediately slamming me into the castle wall after growing wings!

"GET. OFF. ME!"  
"NO."  
"GET AWAY FROM HER!"

Moon pulled forward I saw Star readied to blast me when I saw a Mewman henchman coming, bloody and all.  
Moon saw it too.

"STAR BEHIND YOU!" Moon screamed frantically, panic thick in her voice.  
"AH!?"

MOLTEN LASER CANON!?

Star spun and the spell intended for me instead blasted a sizzling hole through the Mewman mook, he grunted and staggered back. He looked at his midsection surprised as, his upper organs slid out of the hole and he fell back, dagger out of his hand.

Dead.

Star stared at the Mewman, her wand falling out of her hands.  
Moon was the same. Aghast at the sight.  
I didn't care and I bit into her exposed neck as she shrieked, shaking a pale face Star out of her shock. She reached for her wand and fired just as I kicked off Moon, letting her take the hit as I sailed across the air.

Unscathed.

"YOU DAMN VILLAIN!"

I roared in agony as something heavy and sharp slammed into my back and sent me plummeting into the stone pavement. I watched as King River rolled after leaping out of a third story window, striking me and tended to his wife. Star looking extremely shaken at the sight of her mother bleeding and sheet white.

But alive.  
Damn.  
But at least I got what I wanted: Magic from the Butterfly.

I made my daring escape, not that they could do much about it, River did throw his battle-axe at me but I merely dodged it letting it hit a stump.  
Neither gave chase though.

I raced out of the castle area, punching and gutting knights that tried to stop me, borrowing a rather sturdy broadsword from the first corpse I made.

I was nearly out too before I came across something that tickled my good mood even further: a redhead freckled squire.

I low whistled as I faced off with her, to be sure she was brave—and stupid.

"Y'know, I'm in a rather charitable mood…flee wench and you get to live to see the sunrise."  
"I don't think so." She snarled and raise an odd looking sword, I pointed mine, it was plain but it was true and razor sharp.

I sighed, I just had Mewman fillet before this little raid and took a meaty bit out of Moon earlier…ah well, I could always do with more~

I shot forward, sword in a perfect lunge, but the squire parried the blow masterfully and riposte immediately nearly skewering me. A lick of fear blossom as the sword was inches from my midsection and it was well founded as the sword suddenly burst into flames forcing me to parry and retreat.

Blinking rapidly at my actions as the squire waved the flames off her sword and readied herself, I let it show on my face that I was royally pissed.

"A magic sword! You are awfully lucky or rather favored to have such a weapon in a meager position!"  
"…I am Marco's equal after all, squire to squire." The freckled squire boasted.

I would have found the boast tasteless but with Marco tacked on it…that made me want to break the squire for information now.  
And her sword to boot.

The notion wasn't lost to Higgs, seeing her enemy's eyes alight with unholy desire; she began to think she was clearly over her head with this one. She brought the sword up, using the reflection to see that there were some knights still alive; all she needed was to stall for time.

 _Damnit…fine!_

Higgs twirled the sword, I tensed before she threw several fire darts into the air and exploded: an improvised flare. I felt my temple riddle with veins, _oh ho…so she thinks she can get away like that…BITCH!_

Higgs hoped to last for reinforcements.  
But I came at her with ferocity akin to a fiend.

Higgs scarcely hoped to be alive at all.  
Searing her blade, the squire and I clashed, sending sparks with each hit, Higgs pushed hard but I came back with all I had to bear sending Higgs reeling despite hits past my guard not registering at all to the me.

Blow after blow.  
Razor edge to razor edge.  
We bashed our blades, the dins of our hits rang out despite the commotion of what I caused earlier.

This squire was no novice, but she was no master either as we continuously chipped at each other with our singing blades. But I could feel the wariness in the squire, the lag between hits getting wider and wider, the smell of fear and desperation hung in the air as Higgs even attempted to feint and flee but I leapt clean over her and tried to slice her head off but she parried the death blow.

Lucky bitch~!

In desperation Higgs swath her blade in ice and slammed it into my sword, frost covered it and she did so again and again before I realized the repercussion: breaking it to brittle piece and lodged into my collarbone. I gave a bestial roar muscling through it and slashed Higgs with grown claws, leaving her on the grass, bleeding.

Standing over her, I relished beating Higgs knowing _this_ was Marco's skill level.  
I readied to land the deathblow, before I realized the sword lodged in me was rapidly spreading hypothermia.

Glancing between Higgs and the upcoming knights, I pulled the sword free and sending a wave of ice shards knocking the knights over. Fiendishly laughing at the unmoving bodies, I bore down on Higgs,  
"Ah, this sword is a perfect~ I suppose that's a fair trade, no? This sword—for your pathetic life~"

I didn't care for Higgs's outraged face even as I turned away and delved back into the darkness, even as Higgs swore up and down she would kill me.

My good mood was short lived.  
As I raced for my hideout I ran into a well dressed lizard in some sort of grove, he looked at with discerning eyes.

"…"  
"..." Inhale. Exhale.

I didn't say a word to him.

I brought the sword in a stunning arc, the lizard gracefully dodged, even my follow-up proved futile as he simply moved out of the way, shredding some flowers was my only reward. Although, it did seem to upset him.

"You got moves, lizard face."  
"…hmph."

I didn't even see him punch me square in the jaw before grabbing me with his tail and flung me far. I spun in the air and landed without a hitch, I readied to throttle the lizard when he stood there no longer.

"…pity, he would have made a fine scabbard for this sword."

.

It took me a few days but I finally learned enough about the sword to conjure up some blistering flames and frigid cold. I knew my raid on the Butterfly Kingdom wouldn't go unpunished as Moon predictably called down the thunder: the Magic High Commission to hunt me down.

I could tell Moon hesitated to call upon their aid.  
If the Magic High Commission was on patrol they didn't inspire hope and stability.  
Quite the opposite especially with my doing: they spread fear, the same fear I had been cultivating with Lizard that something big and dangerous was stalking across Mewni and they had to get the 'Elites' to deal with it.

Ooh, watch Mewni's populace shake when the MHC came across their town, thinking they would be ravaged because of their mere presence! They could blitz through the blockade too…but the damage was already done, from what I heard conflict had already begun~

Spiderbite versus Kelpbottom.  
Cloud versus Jaggy Mountain.

Ah, the royals were too riled up.  
Talks wont be afforded until they were bloody up first~  
So the MHC were stretched with breaching the blockade, searching for me and other insignificant things.

With them busy…time to deal with the other kingdom that I could hardly tolerate, I don't know…I just feel indifferent to the place.

Oh well.

With Marco's magic sword in hand, I descended upon the Underworld.  
My onslaught would be undeniable~

The magic sword quenched its icy blade with burning demon blood, icicle missiles from the sword, exploding apart hordes of demons.

My assault did not go unnoticed as it seemed Butterfly Kingdom didn't keep information to themselves and rapidly spread the description of me and my cohorts, unfortunately I rotated my mooks regularly so it was rather pointlessly. Sometimes Mewmans, Monsters and a mix of the two, but this time I went at it alone.

They were looking for an army marching down to the capital so they overlooked a singular threat: myself. And oh they paid dearly for it~

Hood on hand and ice sword to brave the heat, I cut them asunder.  
Of course, since I left no demon alive, they could only guess who killed them after they examined the bodies, they couldn't believe that a single individual was capable of tearing apart squads of demons. So they continued to investigate aimlessly while I moved closer and closer to the castle.

I scaled the lofty castle and using the ice stave off the lava heat long enough to eavesdrop and sneak in, learning of hidden artifacts and such. One immediately caught my attention:  
the Hell Crusader armor.

It was held in a vault down below the castle.  
Weapons, armor and treasures kept out of prying eyes and in case of devastation.  
Ooh, I wanted it!

I moved stealthily and quickly, freezing locks and giving it a good whack as I descend deeper, the heat grew just oppressive the more floors I dropped, even the brickwork went from stylish red and gray to charred black.

I wiped the sweat off my face before I came across two Hell Knights guarding the entrance.  
I forgo the formalities, this heat just made my blood boil.

I stepped into their line of sight and they brandish brimstone fire at me, I slid as they reached for the chain for the alarm the other to yell. Ice froze the chain, along with his hand before I lopped it off and gutted the other knight.

I grunted when a spike stud gauntlet collided with my face, I snarled as the one arm knight didn't go down, he charged and rammed me into the war, horned helm piercing into me.

"INTRU—AAGH!"  
I brought my fist down, caving in his helm before I did so again, my fist glowed and I punched right through him: metal, flesh, bone and then air. I shoved his body off me and I picked up my sword and began to freeze then punch the vault door.

The extreme switch from heat to freezing coupled with my magic enhanced hits buckled the door, but not before the dins and clangs alerted the other knights. I waved the sword and made a wall of ice as I quickly searched the vault, to be sure there were marvels but I cared for them naught.

I wanted the armor—FUCKING PLACE IS BURNING ME ALIVE.  
I slid myself into the armor, the sound of ice being hacked did not help as I literally rivet myself with the blacken metal suit.

"In there!"  
"Hurry!"  
"Chop—quit making snow cones and _you_ stop licking the walls!" "I crave the salt."

I don the helm before turning to face the vault door, I picked up a long handle double axe with an eye motif and chucked it through the ice wall, crumpling the Hell Knight. I pulled more weapons and thin the numbers as I threw them clean through the ice wall, impaling them before they fled.

I looked at the last weapon I had ready: the Misery Rose, inscribed upon the black blade. It looked ridiculous, it had a leaf shaped blade but it had jagged pieces jutting out, I tucked it away nonetheless.

I smashed through the ice and ran back upwards, I wasn't surprised when I could hear the Hell Knights ready for me at the end. So was I. Instead of tearing through their corpses, I frost the floor before making massive ice spires and spike tearing from below, the poor saps tried to flee but with the floor slick they only served to crash and skid with abandon.

I made a few more ice spires for good measure before I charged through any resistance, using the ice I bobsled myself through the hallways and corridors, freezing more floor for me to make my getaway.

I smashed through the front door, the Hell Knights were hot on my tail before I conjure up massive ice slabs and began to bombard the castle, plugging up the entrance.

"WHAT THE FUCK!"  
I glanced up to see the princeling, I flipped him off before he came tearing down.  
"THAT IS MINE!"  
"TOUGH LUCK HONEY~"

I quipped as I swap hands with the demon Mewman, I laughed when the fireballs bounced off me and even demonic magic had trouble incurring anything more than glancing blows.

"TOM! GET BACK HERE!"

I spun away as Tom wiped his brow, I could spy the King and Queen on a balcony.  
Perfect~

I snapped Marco's sword and unleashed a frigid gale vortex, Tom shot forward to intercept it as his parents dived for cover,

"NO!"  
"YESSS~"

The prince tried to beat it with his hellfire and he did but he wasn't counting on the explosion that followed and he crumpled into the ground. I raised the sword for a deathblow before I found myself crashing backwards.

I raised myself and saw the MHC Dimensional Scissor Enforcer: Hekapoo.

"Finally found you, psycho!" she snarled.  
"Hmph, I was actually waiting for you." _No I wasn't._

The answer made her pause as I square up with her, she held a Dimensional Scissor as her weapon. I laughed at it before she snapped it to the side and it turned itself into a sword, I grunted before leaving my own.

"Attacking Mewni royals…stealing their treasures, you are one brave idiot—!?"

I didn't care to banter with her, I slammed the frost-riddled sword into her own and she quickly regain footing and attacked. I rained blows on her before she took to evading, quickly understanding that I was far superior to her in strength as each blow she blocked sent her trembling.

Still that didn't stop me from hailing her, landing a blow and attempting to overpower her. To my surprised she pulled out a second sword from the first, making it shrink and leaving her with two short swords. I roared when she thrust the second into the helm slit and stabbed out one of my eyes!

"ARGH!"  
"Urgh! Too freakin' strong!" she spun and kicked me and I bounced off the castle wall before she split into 10 of herself and began to combo tag me! She slashed a portal and threw me in before she took a clone and threw them sky high and making the exit portal.

I came crashing down, denting the ground.  
I sent ice waves at her and 5 clones unleashed a fire tornado to stop it, hissing steam apparent. I made ice darts and flung them before the main Hekapoo cut a portal and they all leapt into it.

I could feel my eye heal.  
"…" _did she flee? No…_

I leapt up as a portal opened beneath me before I threw ice darts into it, hearing a scream. Another portal appeared in from of me and a Hekapoo punched me back before I heard more portals open around me.

I covered myself as 9 Hekapoos came zipping out each punching, kicking or stabbing me with furious abandon wearing me down! Fuck! I managed to chop 2 of them before each one grabbed one of my limbs and pulled them through a portal.

I saw the portals unused close and a sickening thought ran through my head…  
I pulled with all my strength managing to pull my limbs out and just in time—the Hekapoo arms were severed before vanishing.

I gasped for breath, "Bleeding heck…that was close—!?"

I grunt as a boot found my helm and I found myself backflipping and landing on my back.  
3 Hekapoos glared down on me, they kicked Marco's sword away.

"Finally…got…you…" the lead Hekapoo panted, she looked worse for wear, the other two held the short swords at the ready.

 _Damnit._

"Let's chain up this idiot and bring it back to Queen Moon, she's gonna have a lot of questions…"

 _DAMNIT._

I lunged forward and the two Hekapoos stabbed me immediately into the helm, but I didn't need my eyes, not at this range. I grabbed the Misery Rose and snapped it into an arc forward, I heard slivers of something followed by screams.

I yanked out the swords and painfully waited for my eyes to heal, blinking back my vision I looked up the sight of Hekapoo impaled by black spiny spikes in the shoulder, arm and calf.

Huh. Where did those come from? And the injuries were in odd places: I was sure I would have hit her in the abdomen.

I looked at the sword and casually flick it, the jagged pieces came whizzing out and impaled the rock deeply. Hekapoo clutch the spikes as I recovered and march forward, she looked at me in disbelief,

"I stabbed you…three times in the damn face!"  
"…you missed."

I brought the sword down only to have her roll aside, instead I took her horn and she cried at the cost of saving her skin.  
More pain.

She was immobilized face down with the spikes still impairing her.  
I took the horn, took Marco's sword and her Dimensional Scissor blades.  
My ticket out.

Tom managed to rouse himself just as I readied to leave.  
For the first time, I didn't have the energy to be arrogant over this victory.  
I had nearly lost.

"Get…back here…coward…"  
"…you know what Tom: you could have shut your damn mouth and I would have just left. Now, everyone will suffer for it."

I vehemently charged up Marco's sword and unleashed an ice wave for the castle freezing a majority of it before channeling the magic I stole from Moon. I visualized something massive and it materialized as a spike studded gauntlet and caved half of the castle, killing _who-cares_ inside.

The left over ice slabs slid into the lava moat cooling it solid.  
Screams of the living made Tom's face drain out of color as I tore myself a portal.  
I glanced at Hekapoo before grabbing her by the horn, uncaring if she screamed and struggled as the spikes bent.  
I dragged her away with me.

.

"..." Raymond quietly closed his friend's eyes, he was to meet him along the river when he saw his body floating and fished him out with all haste.

He was already dead, he had bled out.  
But he clutched in his hand was a bit of wax paper and desperately scrawled by a charcoal tip already beginning to blemish:  
sape shift Ne

Raymond called the rest of the Knights of the Hood and took the body for burial, Tad looked at the note, a creeping dread welling in all of the KotH.

"Commander Tad...what do we do?"  
"...prepare."

 **XxXxXxXxX**

* * *

Hey avid readers.  
Not feeling a 100% as of late. I was out of commission for a while.  
A rather demonic storm just made where I used to live literally unlivable.  
So...it's been a fuckin' shitty living situation right now.

*sigh* I'm not one for giving up...but this ain't it, chief.  
IRL demands so much from me, I dunno if I can even finish this fic now.  
...I never want to treat fanfic writing as a burden but when I put it ahead of some things then, I just feel rotten.

.

.

.

The political side of the fanfic may not be for everyone but as a recap:  
Butterfly + Pigeon + Cloud = Abstain  
Kelpbottom + Jaggy Mountain = Agreed  
Johansen + Spiderbite + Lucitors = Rejected

If you noticed those who abstained got wrecked minus Butterfly since they were the facilitator; those Agreed became the Civil War Heralds and those Rejected gave _power_ to Darcy.

Also, there's been something bugging me about Glossaryck, that mofo likes to say he doesn't have a side and neutral and I believe that to an extent HOWEVER in canon, the MHC fuck things pretty badly and since we know that they came from Glossaryck I believe he became neutral AFTER expelling the MHC from himself. Each MHC member holds some sort of 'bias' of Glossaryck and when they die they go back into him slowly reverting him back to his base form instead of his split. Just some musing of mine, FYI = I do not own that book Nefcy recently publish so I'm going off in my conjecture.

Next Chapter [maybe]:  
 **Darcy : Mewman in Disguise**

 _tu ne me reconnaiss pas?  
_ I AM NRG

 **END OF TRANSMISSION  
**


	31. Chapter 30

**Disclaimer:** y'all watch Goblin Slayer, yeah?

 **Chapter 30**

Darcy : Mewman in Disguise

 **XxXxXxXxX**

* * *

 **Month 10** Darcy : A 1000 Ways to Eat

* * *

"Welcome back, Hekapoo~"  
"..."

"No need to be so coy~!"  
"…"

Hekapoo glared at her captor, she was as smug as she was pretty, swathed various cloths stitched together along with pieces of leather to reinforce it, a cloak on her shoulder yet unfurled to be draped upon it.

She'd been her captive for days now…maybe weeks and it started off extremely bad with her being undressed and caressed in ways that boiled her blood. It didn't help that her captor did so with a lover's care, exceedingly gentle and even asking if she was alright when her scissors snip-snip at the fabric.

Hekapoo had never been held hostage long enough to be mistreated, usually she would break free in no time and bash their brains in. But somehow she couldn't even muster up the strength to repel the wandering hands, there was a strange lantern above her but she didn't glance to it. Who knows what her captor would do with it.

She sat next to her, her hand running down her bare shoulder before squeezing her plump rump,

"I've heard stories of you Hekapoo…songs and tales from bards…stories from mercenaries…books written of your exploits! But nay, they don't even come close…and they never say how beautiful you are~ just like the prettiest rose has the sharpest thorns! Ooh, you do not know how many adoring fan boys worship the ground you walk on!"

"Ah," she pulled out a book from behind her back and flip through some pages,  
"Oh, the things I heard about you too in less flattering light~  
Hekapoo has the fattest ass this side of Mewni, Hekapoo exxxtra thick, I want Hekapoo to squeeze me between her thighs, thicker than a bowl of oatmeal and then some very convincing ahegao faces of you…wow is that how Eclipsa looks like? [Pause] I'd do her."

Hekapoo tried to crane her head enough to look at the book but she snapped the book close and spun; Hekapoo felt her personal space invaded, as she practically was nose-to-nose with her.

"But enough about you~ let's talk about someone we both are dying to meet!" her annoying singsong and so fuckin' fake…

" _M_ aR _cO_."

The mere name was said in such a loathsome tone, Hekapoo didn't blink at the word but somehow, someway she got what she wanted from looking into Hekapoo's eyes.

"You _know_ him. No point lying. Half the smut I read have you ride him like a bicycle."  
Her hand grabbed a thorn-weaved green apple acting as a gag piece and pried it loose, Hekapoo roared in pain, her lip cut and bleeding.

"Talk."  
"FUCK YOU."  
"Why don't I fuck you instead~?"

Hekapoo felt her gut drop as her captor sexily drew herself up, there was a bulge between her legs, there wasn't one be—  
"Tell me about Marco."  
"Drop dead—MMMRGPHHHH!?"

In one swift motion, her captor grabbed two of her fingers and snapped it apart like a wishbone before sealing her scream with her own mouth. Eyes rolling back and a red hue splattered all over her face as she positively ate Hekapoo's scream, Hekapoo managed to flail enough to send her sprawling on the ground as she felt her fingers twitch in agony.

"WHAT THE FUCK!? _WHAT THE FUCK!_ "  
"Mhmmm~ your screams are delicious, can I get another?" she crawled and Hekapoo's rune-etched-chains rattled as she tried to pull away.

Fear.  
This had never happened before.  
Being captive to a—a sicko.

She smirked seeing the fear.  
She licked her lips, smearing it red.  
Everything about her screamed something unnatural no matter how Mewman she looked.

"Now talk. The more you do, the less pain you feel~"

The pain inflicted on Hekapoo instead of making her happy to oblige to stay away from more torture brought her clarity instead…whoever this person was…wanted information on Marco. And whatever she wanted to know would be cataclysmic for the Dark Knight if she talked, she had no allegiance to him…but if he gave her pause then maybe…

"Hmph, all you need to know about Marco is he will fillet you, there hasn't been anyone he hasn't beaten." Hekapoo hissed, focusing on her hate instead of her pain.  
"Oh gosh you sound like every Mewman and Monster I have interrogated! Hailing Marco as if he is some—"  
"Oh, but he is. And when you find him—you're dead." Hekapoo's eyes shined at the words, truly believing it.

Defiance.

Her captor smiled, eerily wide and knelt down to her, "Oh, darling, if you're going to wank off Marco's power level that much…then I'm in need of a serious upgrade, right? Did you know each of the Big Eight Kingdoms have some sort of coveted bloodline limit or something-other term. The Butterfly has Magick, Jaggy Mountain have Thick Skin…Spiderbite has Poison Immunity, which is why they are rarely killed by spider bites." She trailed off, Hekapoo narrowed her eyes, unsure and uncaring about the little essay she was spouting.

"Care to guess how many I have coveted?"  
"…OH. SHIT. WHAT ARE YOU."  
"I don't know what I am, but I am Darcy. I am Nefon. And I will not be stopped. _Not by you or anyone_. Now, if you excuse me, I have a date with some princesses and princelings~"  
"The Magic High Commission will stop you! Moon will stop you! No one will take this lying down!"

Darcy laughed, "Oh, Hekapoo~! They've been for months now! And besides—it would be no fun if no one will." She spun away after she wagged her broken horn at her, disappearing into the darkness.

"Do your worse, Mewni~  
 ** _And I will do mine."_**

.

"Prince Craven. How is your conquest?"  
"Lonely, m'lady."

Darcy patted the prince's shoulder as the two stared off from the balcony, Craven got the revenge he wanted but he could never replace the family nor the time stolen from him. And the thought sadden him,

"…how do you push on, Lady Darcy? Knowing sooner or later someone will come and end your because you aren't part of the 'norm'."  
"Hmmm, I don't know," Darcy saw the look, she giggled, "Okay, I intend to make this period of Mewni sooo bad that no Mewman or Monster will ever forget it, it will be forever be a scar that will fester in the heart of Mewni till the end of days. Better to live in infamy than forgotten, yeah?"  
"…I suppose that is ONE way to see it."  
"Oh, Craven, I'm sorry. I was never really taught to be, er, you know—compassionate without being fake…or wanting something in return."  
[Silence]  
"Can I preform the mating press on you."  
"…I don't mind, but I don't know how this is gonna work. I mean you're gonna be poking me while I'm poking you."

"…"

Lizard walked in as Darcy and Craven were mounting each other.  
Wisely he walked back out.

.

"You need Richard Pigeon?"  
"Yes, I need to augment myself for my fight against Marco. He is the secret weapon of Mewni, I have Spiderbite, Butterfly and Jaggy Mountain under my thrall, oh and the Lucitor's armor and weapons. But I want to be prepared, with how everyone has been jacking off Marco, I'm pretty sure some of it has to be true."

"Pigeon has extraordinary vision to my distaste. Johansen has Super Mewman Strength. Pony Head have their unicorn magick and lastly Waterfolk Mewmans has gills."

Darcy and Craven walked into the dungeon, Richard looked positively revolting like a half plucked chicken covered in his excrement. His parents fared no better.

"What do you want, monsters."  
"…I want your foot."  
"My what—AAAAAAHHHH!"

Like a viper, Darcy caught Richard and yanked on his foot, he flapped futilely as Darcy winked at him, a wide smile of razor sharp teeth revealed itself.

Craven frowned when the King and Queen cooed from their cell forcing her to stop, Darcy dropped Richard and looked at their cell,

"I was having a meal."  
Cooing.  
Darcy frowned when instead the King put out his own leg through the bars.  
Compassion of a parent. It was lost to her.

She shrugged and bit off his leg.  
Crunching it with gusto.

"FATHER!"  
"Heh, taste like chicken~!" Darcy said in an afterthought before she spat the bony parts into Richard's cell, walking away with Craven on her shoulder.  
"Dinner is served."  
"You'll pay for this, you harpy!"

Richard flung every curse and slander he knew only stopping when he was finally alone, hearing his mother's whimpers as his father bled out mere feet away from him…

"Craven, I'm going shopping."  
"I see. I'll fortify my position. How about the blockade?"  
"Unwise to keep it up any longer, keep a garrison there but pull back the bulk."  
"If it's open then the Butterfly and Johansen will come crashing north, everything you have done will be for naught."  
"We've exhausted our troops—the Pigeons, our mercenaries and Lizard especially. The Forest of Certain Death is teeming with refugees, hungry refugees; a couple well place provocations and they'll migrate all over Mewni. No kingdom can ignore such masses! And the closest are…"  
"Jaggy Mountain, the Johansen and Butterfly. Ah, the ones relatively unscathed from your doing."

Darcy grinned, "Communications is still down, so they won't be mobilizing any time soon. Besides, things have grown complacent: gotta give them something to look forward to~"

.

"Mom, please we need to get Marco back on Mewni."

"MOM!"  
"…until we know the situation, I will NOT bring Marco here."

Star stared at her mother.  
Moon sighed, she rubbed her shoulder feeling the necrotizing bite from her assailant days prior. And to make matters worse, Hekapoo had been captured after receiving a distressing call from Prince Tom Lucitor and his equally beaten up parents.

River gave his daughter a reprimanding look, something he hardly ever done as he tended to Moon, this was the first genuine contact they had in months.

"Starship." River started but abruptly stopped when Moon spoke up too.  
"Listen, Star, I know it's difficult—"  
"MOM, MY BESTIE NEARLY DIED! TOM GOT ATTACKED BY THAT—THAT FIEND! AND I CAN'T EVEN SEE EITHER OF THEM! EVEN HEKAPOO IS MISSING! IS THIS NOT A TIME TO—!?"  
"AND THAT IS EXACTLY MY POINT STAR!" Moon thundered, she stood up even as her face paled, River tried to get her seated but she slapped his hands away as she marched onto Star.

"WHATEVER THAT 'FIEND' IS, WE CANNOT JUST MEET IT HEAD-ON! IT MIGHT HOSTAGE HEKAPOO! WE MIGHT ENRAGE IT AND WITH THE LUCITOR'S HELL CRUSADER ARMOR, OUR MAGICKS WOULD PROVE MORE ANNOYANCE THAN THREAT! UNDERSTAND STAR, THAT I AM NOT TAKING THIS ISSUE LIGHTLY NOR AM I GOING TO COMMIT MORE LIVES TO THE TALLY OF THOSE ALREADY LOST TO WAR, FAMINE AND DISEASE RAMPAGING THROUGH MEWNI! HEKAPOO CAN NOT BE REPLACED, BUT IF THERE IS A CHANCE SHE'S AT THE MERCY OF THAT 'FIEND' WE SHOULDN'T ACT RASHLY AND ENDANGER HER LIFE! AND WHAT MORE THE LIVES OF OUR PEOPLE AND SUBJECTS, YOU SAW HOW EASILY SHE BROKE INTO THE CASTLEGROUNDS! I DO NOT WANT A REPEAT OF WHAT HAPPENED _BEFORE_ AND THIS RAID."

Star felt any more argument dried as River quickly pulled Moon back to her throne as she painfully sip from her goblet, looking even more in pain.

"…I'm sorry Mom, I—" "It's fine, Star…I don't expect you to understand the magnitude Mewni is currently in…what my life was, my upbringing I didn't want it for you too so I guess I would be at fault as well…" "…is there anything I can do?"

Moon blinked and sat up, "…finding Nefon would be a high priority but she left for a lead and you're not going out looking for her with…all this…" Moon mumbled and stopped to catch her breath.

"Moon-pie, why don't you get some rest, you've been working since dawn."  
"…okay." River was surprised at the lack of resistance as he carried the pale Moon back to her bed chambers.

Star watched as her workaholic mother be taken away like a newborn kitten.

"Star don't leave the castle. And do not contact Marco."  
"…she has enough strength to still say that."  
"Listen to your mother, Star."  
"…ugh."

.

Star sat in her room, trying her hardest not to have a mental breakdown of the events that were transpiring. Her dark dream coming true…

Cloud Kingdom falling out of the sky…  
Lucitor Castle nearly destroyed…  
Hekapoo missing…  
The Fiend…that Mewman would be the death of her parents, friends and…her.

Everything…was slowly coming true…

Star furiously shook her head and tried to calm down, remembering that the dream has yet come to pass: Johansen Clan still stood, Omni and Rhombulus were still alive, and there was still a chance! Marco dropped his Ward, they could call him to help! Even if it meant begging on their knees, he would…wouldn't he?

Star couldn't help but tremble at the sicken thoughts worming into her head, it had been so lonely this past months…Pony Head Princess, she had to be alright…Tom was nursing his injuries with his fight with the Fiend…she hesitated to talk to any of her friends on Earth, Janna was very curt with her she didn't even want to try talking to Jackie for obvious reasons…Kelly had been distant with her, for some time now she was just getting static on her phone and mirror.

The entire situation felt wrong.  
She wouldn't stay sheltered…she would have defied her mother and rush out there looking for the Fiend!  
…but she didn't.

Star didn't want to admit it…but seeing her mother mauled by it…her father's axe did nothing to slow it down…finding out Tom and Hekapoo couldn't bring it down…it made an abject fear she pushed in the back of her mind that much more real than some dream that struck her true.

To add to it…that Mewman, regardless of being a criminal and in cahoots with the Fiend…  
She killed him.  
Blasted a charred hole clean through the Mewman, the look of shock and horror…it reminded her of Marco when she had struck him down. And that shut her down leaving her mother open to assault.

"Why did I freeze up? This isn't me…" Star looked at her vanity mirror…  
Aside from her dejected aura and eye bags, she looked radiant, her fair skin aglow and her golden sun kiss hair draping her face, her cheekmarks looking vivid as ever, her eyes a warm blue if not for the dread she felt dimming it.

In all regards, she looked every bit of a princess of Mewni  
but that felt so miniscule now that the entire dimension was going through an upheaval.  
She felt useless when no kingdom on Mewni could pinpoint the culprit, not even Omni from her eavesdropping could decipher what was going on…

"Queen Moon, I am telling you it is Marco…and not Marco! A Mewman…a hoodlum…a queen…a princess…a handful of monsters…Mewmans, there are far too many to scry! It's as if they are working together at the same time and sifting through all that information would drive anyone insane! All I can say is that the culprit is on Mewni…that is for certain. Who are involved is…concerning. Marco already makes it bad but Mewman royalty? Mewmans? Monsters? Working together? It just seems…outlandish…blasphemy even.  
And to top it off: it seems the dimension is being distorted."  
"That is troubling—wait what's causing it? Is it the Fritz again?"  
"I don't know…but I can't Scry _and_ investigate the phenomenon at the same time."  
"…okay, prioritize your Scrying…the phenomenon last time was connected to the Wand…I'll keep an eye out on Star."  
"As you wish, Queen Moon."

*Knocking  
"Excuse me, Princess Star?"  
"Ah, yes, come in." the Princess was pushed out of her musing.

Star straightens up as Higgs the Squire walked in, she was bandaged up from the raid that the kingdom had suffered recently. After that ordeal with Marco, Higgs steered clear of the princess, only speaking to her only when absolutely necessary.  
Which was right now.

"Yes, Higgs, how can I help you?"  
"…have you contacted Marco?"  
"…I have not." Star started, Higgs sighed in relief, "But I will."

The squire looked at her in alarm.  
"What?! No!"  
"Wh-why not?!"

Higgs look gestured to herself,  
"Well for one, I lost his sword!"  
"MARCO DOESN'T HAVE THE TRAITOR'S SWORD ANYMORE!?"  
"WHAT?! NO! I lost his other sword! The one he left to me!"

Star blinked in confusion, "Why did he leave it to you? Wait—why is that a problem?"  
"Because whoever stole it from me is probably running all over Mewni using it! Casting fire and ice in reckless abandon!...and he's going to be really upset with me." She said in an afterthought.  
"…when did it get stolen?"  
"…during the raid, the bastard that came from the castle. I intercepted her but she got away…"  
"…oh Mewni…" Star started to piece together that the Lucitors got attacked almost immediately after her own, the raid was probably trying to lure out Higgs to steal the sword…

"What did the Mewman look like Higgs! What did—!"  
"Female Mewman, dark hair, dark eyes, she was fairly tall and built. I don't know why she attacked, but when I fought her…and boasted about Marco she became like some sort of fiend—nearly killed me but she just stole the sword and fled." Higgs listed off quickly.

 _Nothing.  
We know nothing of her motives…_

"Did you tell anyone about the sword? Boasted about it?" she added the end with some edge.  
Higgs's eyes flashed with anger but it faded, "No. Only Sir Lavabo knows about it."

Star sighed, rubbing her temples, weighing whether or not she would break her promise with her mother,  
"If we call Marco…will he even bother coming back here to Mewni? I mean he exiled himself…"  
"I'm sure once he finds out how bad things are…he'll come back to help…I mean he has to come back…right?"  
"…I don't know about that."  
"…I'm here." Star whispered to herself, but Higgs caught it anyways.  
"…I don't know if that's enough anymore."

Star felt tears slide down her cheeks before she heard something that made her heart flutter.  
Flapping.  
A lot of it.

Higgs pointed to the window and Star saw patchworks of the sky amid the darkening of hundreds of Pigeons.  
Flying past them?

Star and Higgs raced out to the terrace and watched as the Pigeons left their usual garrison and flocked back to their kingdom. The sight was hearting to see as they had heckled Butterfly and Johansen Clan for months.

Star sighed in relief.  
Higgs stared at the sight, feeling instead of relief. Dread.

She glanced down to see the citizens sharing Star's sentiment. Some applauding.  
Then something caught her eye: a red hoodie.  
Higgs left Star and raced down the castle, following the hood as it turned and stalked away, she followed through some alleyways before she found herself at a dead-end.

"Damnit!"  
"Why are you following me."

Higgs paused and slowly turned around to see the same red hood looking at her, face obscured by a rag tied across his lower face, "What's with the hood." "…" "Okay, fine. I just want to know why aren't you all smiling like the rest of the Mewmans." "…this doesn't bode well, just a gut feeling."

Higgs gestured at the get up, "And why are you dressed like Marco?"  
"What's it to you."  
"I'm Higgs. I'm his rival squire—almost knight, ah, yeah." She said quickly.  
"…hmph, never heard of you."

He turned around but Higgs quickly spoke up, "Where are you going?" "…nowhere." "Liar. No Mewman in their right mind would dress like Marco!" "…you're right. Goodbye."

Higgs watched the hood leave, before she raised her voice,  
"...you know, whoever attacked the castle, they took Marco's sword."  
Immediate stop.

The hood spun to her and march forward, she backed up as his eyes were bright with shock and panic, "WHAT!? HOW? …how would you know?" "Take me where you're going and I'll tell you." "…I don't think so. I'm calling your bluff." "Well, wherever you're going or whoever you're meeting tell them that."

Higgs saw the hood nod slightly and readily left, she didn't bother following, she had so much to make up for whenever Marco came back to Mewni. And whoever that hood was…they must still think highly of Marco, just like some Mewmans did.

Higgs walked back to the castle, her thoughts dreading to what's to come…

.

"Raymond, where have you been?"  
"Sorry, I was gathering information. I met this girl…" the reply only made Bell groan.

The Knight of the Hood Mewman member threw back his hood and looked at the assignment on his desk, "Are we…really qualified to do this?" "You heard Commander Tad, before we were just helping paste and put together books, advertise and deliver them to clients now he wants our input." "But we're not authors! We're knights! I know how to use a battle axe—not this delicate pen!"

"If you got time to yap, then you got time to brainstorm! I got 10 of you and none of you put out any good ideas! How is that possible!?" Tad roared chucking a soda can, hitting a KotH member and he fell down dazed.

"Commander Tad, that was your 6th MewniBull." "ANOTHER ONE."

Raymond sighed and scribbled on the parchment, whoever was Nefon it was clear she was dangerous and they couldn't just tell the authorities without proof.  
Or worse…  
She would be waiting for them.

Still they couldn't ignore orders nor the people of Mewni.  
5 Mewmans.  
5 Monsters.  
Perfectly equal and it would ease the clients when their kind delivered orders discreetly.

While Tad made sappy and somewhat shallow romcom as his day job…  
His true money maker was the deviant trash novels he wrote. Of course, when the Knights of the Hood found out they hunted him down in outrage, to think Marco would be some, some—unstoppable love machine! The trail led them to an outskirt forest dwelling but to their surprise Tad didn't beg nor deny such a thing he had done, contrary he used his lemony novels to get precious information from tight lipped sources even favors such as safe havens and resources.

The Knights of the Hood were mere moments from shaving Tad when he solemnly stated it was for Marco's benefit. Sure he took his cut from the profits, but if Marco ever needed an ally on Mewni, he would help him, after all he was his best friend.

The KotH joined forces with Tad and together they began to work in fervor and when Nefon came on their radar they knew something bad was happening so they began to write fics that they weren't exactly comfortable with but some sources had…peculiar tastes. And they needed all the information and coin they could get if they wanted to be useful to Mewni and Marco's eventual return.

But as the weeks passed…  
And the threat of Nefon grew…  
They did what they could to stop raids from both Mewman and Monster with little success.  
They'd stop one but miss the other five.

They weren't slowing down Mewni's descent into chaos…  
Raymond looked up wistfully at the ceiling hoping for the answers…

"Damnit where's the draft on 'Brokeback Mewni'!" Nickel yelled.  
"Hand me 'An Old Flame'!" Alec Ro asked over to Mizar.  
"Proofread 'About Last Knight' again!" Elma threw a folder at Nathalie who ducked.

Raymond quietly closed his eyes.  
He could hear Leo and Elf arguing.  
Astoria trying to stop Tad from chugging more MewniBull.

 _From a knight errant…to smut writer._

* * *

 **Month 11** Darcy : the Mewman Wars

* * *

"Queen Spiderbite, I think armistice is in order…" King Ponyhead sighed heavily; she too felt the same sentiment, for long agonizing weeks the four kingdoms battled it out. Despite Kelpbottom and Jaggy Mountain superior numbers and supply, they were thinned down by interference making the battle more or less equal bloodshed.

"…this entire ordeal has been a folly."  
"…agreed." Queen Spiderbite said quietly, she had not seen Darcy for weeks but that was a small mercy with all she had inflicted. She dreaded the day she showed up again…

"Do you think they will be amicable to a truce?" "They don't want to commit anymore lives than we have…we lost a great deal of our standing forces and we are starving, I'm sure they aren't but they have more spears than hands to use them."

King Pony Head nodded, his reaction might have been ill advised but no king should take their kingdom being nearly obliterated sitting down. And he wasn't going to be the first. But seeing the carnage wrought, well, may be they let the farce stand too long, it was one thing to flex your military it was another when waging war within and out of your kingdom borders out of sheer pride.

The death toll was staggering.  
From disappearing scouting parties to lone guards, the numbers slowly reached sickening digits. Skirmishes erupted into prolonged battles, battle lines were redrawn across the map, ambushes and hit & runs were prevalent just as sieges by sea and air, long range artillery changed the landscape horrifically.

There were times each kingdom thought they were on the brink of a rout.  
A Waterfolk armada pounding Spiderbite's seawall.  
Pony Head Knightmares cutting Jaggy Mountain supply trains and stealing them to boot.  
Waterfolk shaking Cloud Kingdom with bubble cannons.  
Spiderbite praying their spider-netting defense withstand Jaggy Mountain bombardment.  
Jaggy Mountain fighting off starving raiding parties from Spiderbite, desperate to eat.

The Civil War was terrible.  
Old and young died alongside their countrymen as the war continued to escalate.  
King Pony Head desperately tried to get in contact with the other kingdoms but it was futile.

The four kingdoms tore at each other until they were too bloody to even continue it on, their citizens on the verge of a revolt and their military dried out to even stop them. They had ran themselves into the ground.

The two royals talked in sad bitter tones a bit more before the doors clanged open: Nefon came striding in, looking travel worn. Queen Spiderbite inwardly cursed…she wanted to broach the topic of the Informant…

"…Nefon."

"Ah…King Pony Head…Queen Spiderbite…perfect…hah hah, water please?" they looked at her before doing the request. Slowly.

After having a draught, Nefon wiped her chin and laid several scrolls on the table,  
"I have great news: the Pigeon have pulled back. Communication should be your first priority, ah my agents confirmed—"  
"Where have you been, Nefon."  
"…I don't understand—what do you mean?"

The Informant looked at them for a moment before nodding,  
"Are you all concerned I have been to the other kingdoms during the debacle?"  
"I wouldn't call what happen to us a 'debacle', Informant."  
"Ah, apologies."

The two listen to her spin her tale of her breaching through the blockade that had formed, her harrowing experiences and the revelation that while the four of them fought the other three kingdoms were in disarray as well.

She put a newspaper clipping of Butterfly and Lucitors recent attacks as well as the Johansen Clans suffering near constant raids. The two glanced at it before looking back to her,  
"Answer us: where have you been."  
"I just told you—"  
"I don't believe you. Nefon the _Informant_." King Pony Head snorted, he looked at her sharply, "You leave in such a critical time when four kingdoms duked it out from _your_ input. What is more if you had gone to the central why didn't you garner some sort of amassed forces to breach the blockade, surely you have sources and agents to do such a thing."

Nefon rocked her heels for a moment, "I could have…if not for the kingdoms unable to spare some brave souls…scared villagers and townspeople wouldn't give them either whether Monster or Mewman…and while you four bickered, Mewni kept turning. They have their own problems. So forgive me I couldn't pull youngsters from their scared parents and marshal a group of tryhards to save you four from yourselves."

The two royals narrowed their eyes at the tone the Informant had taken.  
Clearly, Nefon thought very little of the Civil War that took place.  
And it was showing blatantly in the public…the Queen sought to use it but quickly withdrew the thought, realizing every time she scored a 'victory' it would backfire. She spoke carefully, choosing her words,

"You said you reached the central and spoke to the royals there, I find it hard to believe they would not be more forthcoming when four of the eight kingdoms are waging war with each other. Do you have any letters or documents for us? Surely they are worried."  
"Or aghast. I know Queen Moon would be." King Pony Head added.

Nefon chewed on her words,  
"I do not have letters for any of you. I rushed back when I heard the blockade lifted."  
"If it was lifted and your sources told you ahead of time, didn't you give the information to the rest of the kingdom then?"  
"There was no time."

King Pony Head rose up and bellowed, "THAT IS UTTER HORSESHIT!"  
Nefon shrugged, "I'm an Informant not your errand girl."  
"…you are no longer welcome in this kingdom Nefon the Informant." "…as is mine."

Nefon looked at the two.  
She snickered.

"WHAT'S SO FUNNY."  
"Mmphffmmm~! Oh. Nothing. Nothing at all~" Nefon sneered and swagger out of the room.  
"Oh. By the way, Jaggy Mountain and Kelpbottom are rolling up here…something about their kids missing. You might want to check on your own too~"

Without warning Nefon leapt to the side as King Pony Head laser her with his horn, she easily dodged the attack and escaped through the window escaping into the Spiderbite streets below.

The two tried to pinpoint where she had gone but instead they only saw the faces of concerned citizens.  
Nefon was nowhere in sight.

"WHERE IS SHE!?"  
"NEVERMIND HER!" the queen spun and raced for her daughter's room, the king behind her, she rapidly knocked on the door.

Nothing.  
Fumbling for her key, she got it unlocked and was greeted to a messy room.

"Oh no…"  
"…it's always this messy—!"

The queen followed some prints on the carpet to an open window. A bit of dress fabric caught on the sill. With scratch marks.

Realization hitting her like a landslide of bricks.  
"YOUR DAUGHTER—!"  
"DAAAAADDY THIS ASSHOLE TRIED TO PULL A 'TAKEN' ON HOMEGURL, BUT I CARVE THEIR ASS OUT!"

The two spun and saw a half beaten Pony Head Princess looking at them from the doorway, her horn was missing.

"MY BABY!"  
"DAAADDY!"  
"What—who did this?!"

The queen was ignored as Pony Head Princess retold her story how she was chillin' in her room minding her business when some Mewman broke in and tried to snatch her, but she fought back and instead had her horn broken off and stuffed into a burlap sack. After chewing her way out like a demented goat she rushed to Spiderbite to give everyone the low-down.

"What did this Mewman look like!?"  
"He had gills. And frog eyes."  
"A MERMEWMAN?!" "Are you sure? That kind of accusation at a time like this…wait."

The two tore themselves from Pony Head Princess when the warning bell went off, the three rushed over to the window seeing a small group of knight from Jaggy Mountain and Kelpbottom marching forward, galloping ahead on warnicorns were the royals of the kingdoms.

The three royals could hear the bluster from the citizens down below at the warning however a flag being raised was one of truce from the incoming royals.

"That's a flag I thought we would be flying."  
"…that's not a good sign."

The three went to the gate, the gatekeepers looked nervous but opened it as commanded as Queen Spiderbite, King Pony Head and Princess met the royals with a contingent of guards but the royals didn't seem to take notice. Contrary they looked as if they had the colors beaten out of them. The royals were far enough to not be heard by their own guards.

"…" "…"  
"…so, we just gonna stay out here in the hot sun or what?" "Hush! This is unexpected of you to—"

"Your daughter…is alright…" "…why…how…?"

The royals looked grief-stricken, Queen Spiderbite had a sinking feeling and spoke her fears, "Your children were attacked…"  
"…worse…they are kidnapped…and if we…we…try to search for them…or reach out to anyone…"  
The rest were smothered by cries from their parents.

"I understand your pain, but if you do as—"  
"WHAT. JUST LET OUR CHILDREN SUFFER!? YOU CAN SAY THAT BECAUSE YOUR OWN ISN'T IN THEIR CLUTCHES!"

King Pony Head looked at them helplessly, there was no ransom note for Penelope and Pony Head escaped, it seemed Kelpbottom and Jaggy Mountain had been dealt a terrible hand.

"Your flag…you wanted to talk…" "…yes, we want you to help us. Our children will be safe if we march. South."  
"WE WILL NOT MARCH ACROSS MEWNI." "YOUR DAUGHTER IS KIDNAPPED!"

Queen Spiderbite looked to the distance, praying Darcy was not there, "Whoever has our children…they won't harm them, they are too important." "You sound too confident of that." Kelpbottom King spat.

"…" Queen Spiderbite grimace ready to blurt out the truth, that it was Nefon that had them  
"Look!"

The royals spun and looked at a breathless King Spiderbite rushing towards them on horseback, he wiped his face as sweat pour down it,

"Our daughter…they have her!"  
"…"

The Queen was silent at the news, feeling all eyes focus hard on her.  
Sweat began to grease her pits and palms.

"Queen Spiderbite…you won't…?"  
"Why take her? Why take any of our children? What is there to gain from all this?" Rhetorical.

The Queen closed her eyes painfully unable to find any reason to NOT find her child…to forego marching across Mewni.  
Oh how she wished she could just tell the truth…

"Let us march across Mewni…"  
"I…I won't take part…"  
"Of course you wont…you have no reason to…King Pony Head…"  
"Must me nice…"  
"…" King Pony Head looked on sadly, his eyes drifting to the distant Butterfly Kingdom.

.

"My parents will find us!"  
"And they wont march across Mewni to start more fights!"

Darcy just smiled, ignoring the spiteful slurs.  
She did however wipe her chin.  
Having taken a bite out of Princess Penelope Spiderbite and Prince Larry Kelpbottom while Jaggs Jaggy Princess huddled in the corner of her cell, remembering her all too well.

"Whether or not they march across Mewni is not really an issue with me; it would be nice if they killed in my name but if they don't it doesn't really matter. Bloodshed is inevitable."  
"The entire kingdom of Mewni will hunt you down!" came a shrill yell from Kelpbottom.  
"And even the Magic High Commission will join in the hunt!"

Darcy smiled and walked closer to the cells, ah juvenile courage was indeed a blessing and curse: they think they are unbeatable until they get knocked on their asses. Jaggs however knew exactly what she was capable of; staying silent and not challenging her.

Darcy burst out laughing, first it was full of mirth, then it went on. Getting louder. And more gruff. Deeper and… _inMewman_. The royals suddenly aware of it started to back away as Darcy drew closer, changing her face to the Spiderbite Queen.

They gaped.  
Then she changed into Moon Butterfly.  
Into some nameless Mewman boy. Mewman girl.

Some Monster traits.  
More Monster in the mix.  
A Monster male. Female.

"…how can they find me…if they don't know who to look for~?" Darcy giggled.  
She changed into her captives, watching their faces drain out of color at the sight.

"Your parents. Your kingdoms. Have been looking for me whilst I pranced across your lands, they even invited me into your homes and halls!"  
"LAIR!" "WE WOULD NEVER—!?"

Darcy changed into Nefon.

And smiled warmly at them, curtsey before them all.  
Shifting into servants of their respective homes before settling back into Nefon.

"YoU dId. AnD yOu LoVeD mE. pRaIsEd Me. BeGgEd Me. I aM yOuR iLl-CoCeIvEd **HoPe**."  
"…No…no…NO! That can't me!" "OH MEWNI…" "…you…you were my mother's aid…you slept down the hall from me…you…you were my mother! You touched me! Kissed my cheek! Gave me advice! You—you!"

Nefon smiled, "I was a better mother to you than the Queen, wasn't I~? Did you love your mother more because of _me_? Oh, don't be shy! Just admit it: you couldn't even tell I was an imposter. Oh, those sweet words you said to me! Oh…she'll never hear it, won't she? Those words, those moments, those memories ARE MINE. THEY WILL BE ALWAYS MINE BECAUSE NOW I'VE SULLIED AND STAINED YOUR LOVE FOR YOUR _MOTHER_. Oh, you could make new memories, better ones…but you will always do it with the intention of burying the ones you made with ME."

Penelope Spiderbite began to hyperventilate, her eyes bulged at the revelation she spent time, and enjoyed, with a psychopath.

She just collapsed on the floor.  
Unable to grow any paler.

Nefon grinned before looking at the other two: spirits yet broken.

Willing her latent powers her face morphed horrifically as she used every Mewman and every Monster DNA she stole and brought it bubbling to the surface.

The two royals watched as a pretty Mewman lady turned into a thousand-face monstrosity like an irradiated mutant born from an equally irradiated parents. The royals shut their eyes at the visage, praying and warding at her, Darcy spoke and a thousand voices echoed,

"The Magic High Commission wouldn't dare look for you either. Not when I have one of them already~"

The royals peeked through their fingers and saw a yellow-orange tipped horn wagged at them.

 **"NO ONE IS COMING FOR YOU."**

.

"Raymond are you sure?!"  
"Damnit, Tad, yes! They are moving! But why? They bloody themselves up with each other…why the rest of Mewni?" Raymond looked at their client's reports that was used sometimes as payments and goodwill.

Tad chewed on his fingernails.  
"Slow them down. Feed the warnicorns bitter fodder. Give stale grain and bread. Mislead patrols. Give scary rumors! ANYTHING! Oh, Mewni why!? And so close to the deadline! Oh, we are so behind in our book sales!"  
"FORGET THE TRASH NOVELS—"  
"SAY THAT AGAIN. HOW DO YOU THINK WE'RE FUNDING OUR CAMPAIGN AND PROTECTING MEWMANS AND MONSTERS ALIKE!? Do you know, despite this civil unrest and those damn birds, Mewmans and Monsters indoors have been reading like crazy?! I HAVE NEARLY MADE ALL OF MEWNI LITERATE! WHERE IS MY MEWNI PRIZE!?"

Tad ranted.  
And ranted.  
Raymond groaned, despite Tad's overly emotional ways he does things, he had done some good with his trash novels: boosting everyone's reading level. So they can read the smut.

Raymond left Tad and rallied the Knight of the Hood and gave them their orders and they hurriedly left. Solid Spider remained hidden in Tad's hideout, hearing the destruction of Mewni he had secluded himself, asking for little and wanting to be alone…reflecting how he could have stopped Liquid Lizard but couldn't.

Raymond tried to reason with him, seeing so much of Marco in Spider, but it was painful too for the KotH member and he merely stated that if Spider wanted to do something about it…he should.  
He was after all, Marco clone; Spider bitterly resented that. He was his 'son' and his brother was causing all the mayhem in Mewni.

Raymond and Alec Ro collected data on the armies marching deciding to go with Tad's plan of action. It bought them a week of delay but in the end it was naught.

Even after getting the rest of the members and pouring their time and resources to slowing the march of Mewmans to central Mewni.

Mewni unleashed its horrors upon its people…

.

"And why should we side with you?!"  
"Because if you don't: you die. Horribly, in fact."

Nefon sighed loudly, she was in the Forest of Certain Death once again, and the concentration of refugees had filled the place nicely. Monsters and Mewman alike were scared out of their wits, those especially who lived outside of the protective walls and barriers of kingdoms. The forest was a refuge until it was literally up to capacity, easily thrice the recommended amount.

Nefon glanced around seeing many angry faces, "The Mewni royals are out for blood, rogue Mewman and Monsters are not safe!"  
"Then reason with them!" "Yeah!" "THEY TRUST YOU DON'T THEY!?"

Nefon dramatically inhaled and shook her head slowly, "Not anymore. They saw me going kingdom to kingdom trying for armistice but instead of seeing goodwill they believe treachery instead. They will not listen to me anymore." "THEN YOU'RE USELESS!"

The crowd grew louder and Nefon narrowed her eyes.  
"Am I? Who here has insider knowledge how to combat these ruffian royals? Hmmm? What I'm proposing is that we 'defend' our location, they'll come sweeping in from the north and head south, if we play it right we will have minimal confrontation."  
"And what? You're our leader? Our general?" "We got plenty ex-military Mewman and Monsters here. They can lead us."

"Yes, I suppose you're right. Good luck to you all." Nefon turned her back and ready to leave, they wouldn't last much against the armies and if they didn't meet them well…they would see the kingdoms ripe for the picking, sure there are walls and guards.

But so much less of them from Civil War and the raids that had wore them down.  
Being on constant vigilance and high alert is detrimental to soldiers, being wound up for a fight that never came or being constantly heckled would send morale plummeting.  
And kingdoms and settlements have suffered from it.

"N-now, hold on, Nefon! Let's not be too hasty." Came some Monsters, Nefon paused, "We mean, _they_ mean no disrespect but there must be some room for negotiation and talks, yes?" "I don't know, they seem hell bent on turning Mewni upside down, apparently I've heard from my agents that their children has been kidnapped…and Monster are suspect."  
"OH WHAT BULLSHIT!" "REALLY?!" "AS IF WE DIDN'T HAVE ENOUGH PROBLEMS."

Nefon shrugged as she began to walk away as the place buzzed with fear, no doubt many of these so called 'leaders' and 'generals' would propose plans that would be ineffectual but that wasn't any of her problem she walked further and further away until she was at the forest edge.

She stood there as the armies pushed forward from the horizon…  
No doubt they'll search the forest…agitate the occupants…cause friction.  
Mewni would burn to the ground and the wretched blood of those before would water the seeds of tomorrow, blah, blah, blah.

She didn't care what comes after Mewni fell.  
So long as it fell.  
And she the one left standing atop mountain ridges of bodies.

Darcy pursed her lips at the peculiar thought.

 _Oh. That came out wrong._

Knowing _this_ wasn't _her_ , she centered herself and delved into her mindscape.  
And found a swirling fountain of mashed and disembodied Mewmans and Monsters blankly gazing at her, she observed the sight before she heard murmurs, thousands of them.  
Darcy growled finding that her gluttony of eating so many Mewmans and Monsters they…they were changing her…

She smirked at the notion.  
If they wanted to corrupt her—then she would devour them once more, be it mindscape or soul plane. She was Darcy the Mewman + Monster Eater afterall~

Darcy blinked and found herself back.  
And took a step forward

Only to stop sensing someone.  
On a whim she let them do as they pleased.  
She grunted as she felt a sharp pain on her back as she stumble forward, "I haven't forgotten about you, betrayer! The Crimson Children will have their vengeance!"

Nefon reached for the dart and yanked it out before getting back to her feet, she didn't even bother turning around to see someone she hadn't seen in while, frankly she thought had died.

Slink.  
The lone survivor of the Crimson Children.

"Oh, you're still alive." Nefon said cheerfully sarcastic, magic was indeed a wonderful thing…  
"It ends now, Nefon. I know Liquid Lizard has been in your possession…using him for your schemes." He readied another dart, Nefon wasn't even fazed.  
"Oh, don't be a hypocrite: you were planning to use him on Mewni. Unleash a Monster without equal and without restraint until the Mewmans surrender! You would make every Monster guilty and suffer for your ambition. In victory we are all the same in the Mewman's eyes but in defeat we would not take care of each other and present a sacrificial lamb to appease them. Do not speak, Slink for you know it is true: peace through threat of a Monster. Is that really peace? A Monster made by Monsters…you detest and resent the Mewmans who took everything from Monster-kind yet you are no better than they when you took everything away from—" "DO NOT TWIST THE TRUT—!"  
 **"SILENCE."**

An unnatural pressure began to set in on Slink as Nefon's magic swirled around her, Slink blinked rapidly at the sight, "You can use magick? Who—what are—!"

Nefon made a clawing gesture and the trees around Slink crashed into him, holding him in place, "You are beneath me, worm. Now get out of my sight."

Nefon closed her fist and heard the sickening pops before she threw her hand to the side and walked away into the distance.

In one week.  
The Monsters and Mewmans hidden in the Forest of Certain Death spilled out of their refuge, going north, west and south. Driven by hunger, hate or desperation; no one knew what the hell they were even fighting for anymore…other than not be a corpse in the morning or starving in the streets.

Fight or die.

Nefon watched apathetically.  
Before she moved on.

.  
 **[Before the Week]**

"Queen Moon, the mirror—!" Manfred stumbled in, Moon shot up from her bed her hand full of magic, "What? What is it?" she asked the breathless servant.

"King Pony Head! The line is sensitive, only one at a—"  
Moon hopped off the bed and ran to the nearest mirror, her IV tubes dangling behind her. She quickly switched through the channels,

"King Pony Head! King Pony HEAD!" Moon jammed the button.  
"Gurl, I missed yah! Look what they did to my—" "Pony Head, oh you're alright—"  
"STAR GET OFF THE LINE!" Moon roared.

The mirror fizzled into a distraught King Pony Head, he quickly yelled, "Queen Moon, Jaggy Mountain, Kelpbottom and Spiderbite are marching across Mewni! Their children are Taken, they will not stop—"

Moon watched helplessly as the transmission ended and felt herself ready to collapse, Manfred steadying her and calling her husband and child. River and Star were there a minute later, "…gather all knights, squires—even pages to hold the line. I will see if I can't wring some sense into these idiots!"

Moon pushed herself up.  
And collapsing in River's arms.

"Moon Pie, you can't! That bite—its poison!"  
"…yes, magic wont cure it…it's a debilitating concoction…must be from Spiderbite."  
"Then let's go there! I mean communication is back, so—" "An army will not march without a leader and if it is true, then the king and queen will not be in their kingdom, Star! If you got there how are you gonna divine the antidote. Even if you stole every vial and potion, you could make me sicker or worse."

"WE CAN'T JUST DO NOTHING!"  
"…we'll contain them, an army can only stand for so long before they listen to reason. All we need to do is stop their advance and they'll think more clearly in the situation." "Then the Magic High Commission—!" "NO, STAR. This could also be the Fiend's plan: draw out more Magic High Commission members! No. I am going to do this."

Star stared at her mother, aghast and appalled, she was ready to lay Mewman lives down.  
"You can't just send them to their deaths!"

Moon drew herself up.  
"I'm the Queen, Star. I'm making the decisions. Be it good or bad: I will shoulder every life given to me. From weeping families and widows, angry parents and orphan children; I bear this burden so I could be a little be selfish…so I don't have to send my daughter and husband into a sea of blood I made. I'd rather **I** wade through all the corpses I made in my youth than make you do the same; this is a folly I will not allow a second time."

Moon tenderly touched her daughter's cheek,  
"Now go to your room."

.

Star didn't go to her room.  
Instead the princess watched as Butterfly Knights, Squires and even young Pages gear up for war. Moon and River gave them a rousing speech and directives, the gist was keeping the armies contained, no unnecessary bloodshed and if the royals were found demand for an armistice.

They saluted and marched forward, ready to fight their fellow Mewmans if that came to pass.

Star saw Higgs put on a helmet, a plain broad sword on her hip and marched with her company. All of them looking scared or grim.  
War would become their teacher now.

Star watch them go before she contacted Tom and Pony Head, relaying that prince and princesses have been kidnapped. Tom was dejected over the news as his kingdom was being rebuilt and fortified; Pony Head was a better conversation telling her all sorts of things that had happened during this 'Civil War' for months.

Star felt her eyes smart when the line was cut to Pony Head.  
Unsure what to do or who to turn to, she ran to the top spires of the castle and watched events unfold…

Star saw a massive army coming from the north, winding around the landmarks.  
The Butterfly Knights had chosen their line and began to make camp and defensible forts of mud, rock or plank.

The princess fretted over days as the armies drew closer and clearer but suddenly they would just stop. Using her wand to make herself a telescope she realized that the army was indeed pushing but for some reason they would relent and stop all progress and it was repeated throughout the day, sometimes they would stop for the day.

Without all this delays…they would have been at the Knight's line already.  
Whatever was keeping the army at bay made Star sigh in relief, the Knights too would be glad at their good fortune.

Star relayed the news to her mother and seeing as the armies not making progress decided to fly there and see if the royals had finally lost all steam.

Moon flew on the seventh day, hoping to talk while they were immobile.

Just as the Forest of Certain Death bugled and out of its belly came an angry mob, rushing in all directions.  
The Northern army flanked.  
The Butterfly Knights fought waves.  
Jaggy Mountain besieged.  
Johansen Clan buffeted by raids again.

And Butterfly Kingdom received their share of the horror.

* * *

 **Month 12** The Passion of Darcy

* * *

"Star? STAR! Oh, thank Mewni you're alright!" River breathed finding her in the rooftops as she stared pale at the sight.  
"Mom…Mom's there…"  
"Star, listen, you got to take command of the castle." "WHY?"

River called his eagles and began to pet them and point, "Johansen Clan is being attacked so I'm sending my eagles, but it will take some time, you have to get what little knights we have left to defend the kingdom!"

Star hesitated before she leapt out of the rooftop, taking up her Butterfly Form and zooming around her kingdom, picking off raiders and looters with her wand from a distance. Satisfied, she magnified her voice with magic,

"Citizens of Butterfly Kingdom! I, Star Butterfly, declare a state of emergency! Prepare for raiders of every race! Arm yourself—!?"

Star felt the air punched out of her as something collided with her and sent her flying back into the castle via window. It took a second to register but when it did Star let out a blood-curdling scream at the pain from both instances.

"Hmph, you made for quite the easy target, Star Butterfly. Shut your mouth."  
"!?"

Star gasped seeing a sleek suit of black armor staring her down, a sword of fire and ice dancing across the blade.

 _Because whoever stole it from me is probably running all over Mewni using it! Casting fire and ice in reckless abandon!_

Higgs words echoed in her and she leapt to her feet, as her magic pulsed pushing out the glass shards.

"You…you're the Fiend."  
"Ah. That ridiculous name. Well, in this armor it does suit me."  
"What do you want."

Star held out her wand making sword blade, the Fiend rumbled at the sight, "I came here on a whim, you see I remembered that you are part Johansen and well…your blood might be watered down but it'll do~"

Star swung but so did the Fiend, crashing an ice sword into her own, she blinked as the ice immediately spread forcing her to disengage but she didn't get far as the Fiend shoulder tackle her through the wall.

"Get out here—"

The Fiend stumble back as Star did just that, wand now hammer clubbed the helm and she raced away calling for help.

"KNIGHTS! SQUIRES! STAFF! BATTLE STATIONS!"

The Fiend creak its neck before racing after her, Star stayed ahead but the moment blazing arcs and frigid waves came, slicing apart the castle Star veered back, _if this castle falls, everyone inside and below will die! DAMNIT!_

Star saw the Fiend and her heart thump painfully.  
She was afraid.

The Fiend came with an upward stroke, a fiery arc and Star countered it,  
 **Strawberry Smoothie Tsunami!**

The Fiend grunted as the arc expired and it sent back from the sugary flow, Star spun and managed to kick it across the face before using another spell and another and another,

 **Rainbow Fist!  
Oatmeal Thick Bomb!  
Freezing Sweater Patch!**

The spells were bouncing off the Fiend.  
Growling, Star pasted her spells to a wall before kicking the Fiend into it then layering like it was intended.

There was no finesse to it but the Fiend was effectively stuck to the wall by the spells, but instead of breaking free immediately the Fiend just observed the princess.

"Well. You got me~"  
"Shut…up…"

Star held the wand to its helm, "Why are you here? What do you want?"  
"I told you: a whim. But you all but confirmed what I wanted to know…you do have Super Mewman Strength. Like your father, he must be so proud."

Star felt her stomach twist as her backup arrive, armed knights stared at the Fiend as did River as he came with his battle axe.

"Star!"  
"Dad! You got to stay away from that!"  
"Hi, River."  
"YOU SHUT UP."  
"Is that any way to speak to your mother, Star."  
"…what?" "…wait, that sounds just like…"

The Fiend rattled its head and one of the braver knights grabbed it and pulled it free and dropped the helm.

Queen Moon was in the armor.  
Cool blue eyes, ashen hair and cheekmarks to boot.

"You did very well, Star." She smiled, Star and River stared, "That is what I would have liked to say anyways."

Without warning the room exploded in steam, the FrostFlame ignited underneath the oatmeal seal and built up. Star and River felt themselves pushed out of the room before the sounds of dying knights filled the air. The two rushed back into only to have the steam mist drench them and the tapping of metal on the floor.

"FREEZE."

Star and River gasped as their wet clothes instantly harden.  
Star readied her wand to blast herself free but a long spiny thorn knocked it out of hand.

"You'll have your chance to fight Star, after I have some of your dad~"  
Star's eyes bulged as the Fiend had changed its face into a Mewman girl, she smiled showing instead of normal teeth; razor sharp ones. She broke apart River's frozen sleeve and bit into his forearm, drawing blood as River struggled to keep back his yells. Star didn't and screamed at the Fiend to let go of her father, taking a few more exaggerated draughts she stood back and flexed her arm, the sound of metal creaking made it apparent she was indeed stronger.

She smiled to widely before punching River out of the room through a wall.

"Ahhh! Now this is something I can get used to! I mean molding muscle fibers is just so cumbersome sometimes, this is much more convenient! Always knew the royals were hiding the good stuff~!"

"What are you…" Star shook in her frozen stature, the Fiend snickered before waving the sword and a swatch of fire melted her free, immediately she rushed for her wand and fired at the Fiend in desperation.

Again, the spells bounced off the suit of armor so instead she aimed for the head.

 **Rainbow Fist!**

The Mewman smirked.  
Star gasped as the fist connected and the sound of vertebrates cracking reached her ears.  
She didn't even bother dodging.

Star gulped, unsure to feel happy or mortified at killing the Fiend.

"Ouch. Gotta say, a broken neck isn't the most pleasant ways to go~"  
"!?"

Star gasped as the Fiend fixed her head and smiled at her.  
She picked up a disembodied arm and casually nibbling into the exposed humerus, the princess balked at the sight.

"Mhmmm, you don't know what you're missing Star~ this Mewman had an excellent diet and aged too, the marrow tells it all."  
"You're sick! You're some kind of monster!"  
"Monster? Oh no, sweetie, I'm more than that! But I do recall some papers saying Mewmans should co-exist with Monsters, so shouldn't you get along with me then? Share my perspective!...why don't you."

Star could only find herself shaking from both blind rage and fear.  
She raised her wand and a gold hue began to build.

"I don't know what you are! And I don't care!" Star roared as the wand reached its peak and unleashed the blast, the Fiend tossed the arm and held up a gauntlet hand and caught the blast.  
But started to skid back.  
The Fiend grunted in surprised before redirecting the blast, Star's eyes widen and cut off the flow before rocketing forward and slamming into the Fiend.

Who turned the tables and slammed Star into the wall instead, face nearly touching,  
"I admire your bravado, princess, I really do~ but you can't beat me! I am the Downfall of Mewni! I am the Mewman who crawled out of the hole not womb of a mother, I have a thousand faces and names because of it! I stalk your lands and dreams, you can not escape me, none of you will, for I am Darcy…Eater of Mewmans and Monsters."

Darcy groaned when Star cocked her head back and head-butted her.

"You got heart, princess I'll give you that. But I've coveted all of Mewni's royalty in my body. Simply put: I have no equal now~ I stand above you all: Mewman and Monster alike. I MIGHT AS WELL BE YOUR GOD. And you can't beat that~"

Star felt like gritting her teeth into nubs as the Fiend's mirthful laughter, taking whatever it had said as a fact…but somewhere in Star, she knew it wasn't lying one bit. If it did just complete itself after biting her father…and even a broken neck couldn't kill her…then what could?

Darcy's laughing stopped and she backhand Star, she immediately cast her spell before her head was smeared off,

 **Fantastic Bubble Suit!**

Star's entire body was encased in bubblegum and was sent bouncing after the backhand. The princess gasped popping the suit and wincing feeling all the fighting soon catching up to her, "You're nothing but, but an abomination! And I will beat you! Of course, I can!"  
"No. You can't. You're afraid of me. An appropriate response."

Star backed up, her wand hand trembling, Darcy snickered…getting closer, drawing a sword flashing fire and ice,

Star gritted her teeth, Darcy could see the conflict of her running or fighting her, eyes darting to dead bodies littered around her. Ah, the smell was just coming back! Seeing Star on the verge of tears, Darcy jabbed her with some barbed words,

"What if you can't beat me?"  
"My mother, she—" "But I beat her. You saw me do it~"

Star's face turned red at the accusation, she flung the next one, knowing it would be too far-fetched,

"Then Eclipsa! She's the strongest in Dark magic in my family!" "Really now? Where was she when I was tearing across Mewni? Heck, where was she when I took a bite out of your mother?"

"The Magic High Commission!" "Oh, you mean like Hekapoo? I whipped her, I'm still whipping her in my Hideout, oh listening to her scream! What are those two other buffoons to me then? To me it seems that the MHC likes to play 3v1, not very fair but hey no judgement. Kidding!"

Star shook as Darcy merely waited for the next slur.  
Then a strange look came across her face…

"Marco…Marco can beat you…" Star whispered, the Fiend got ready to bust a lung laughing  
But didn't. Star wasn't looking at her anymore but something around her finger, "What is that?" "…Marco's ring." "Hmph, what are you? His suitor?"

The words seemingly made Star look up at her and pelt straight for her!  
The Fiend caught her by the throat, slamming FrostFlame down before grabbing her hand and prying the ring off the princess.

"NO! GIVE THAT BACK!"

Darcy ignored her and threw her aside.  
Taking off her left gauntlet, she slipped on the ring,  
"Would you look at that! It looks waaay better on me—!?"

The moment the ring came to rest on her finger, she felt a lightning course through her, and she fell to her knees as her vision was obscured by…

A figure clad in blacken regal armor…fire burning around it…two great horns growing from its head…an army marching behind it as it raised a mighty sword upon

"AGGHHH!" Darcy screamed as Star made a wand blade and tried to behead her, only cutting three-fifths through before a gauntlet punched her away.

"BITCH!" she pulled the ring off and chucked it. She drew the Misery Rose and ready to pin Star when she was pulled back by something, glancing back she saw it to be Moon, already bloody.

"GET AWAY FROM MY DAUGHTER!"  
"Say that to my face!"

Darcy grabbed the bindings and yanked Moon into a lariat, sending her flipping in the air and smashing into the floor.

"Queen Moon!"

Darcy saw a massive cloud turn fist that clobbered her before crystals shot from the ground and pinned her to the ceiling.

"Ah, Omnitraxus Prime and Rhombulus. What took you so long?"  
"Who are you!" "Fess up punk!"  
"That's the Fiend! She's been causing all the problems on Mewni!"  
"I sure have~"

Moon, Omni and Rhombulus got a good look at her, she winked before she morphed into Moon and yelled at them, "Well, quit gawking and get me down from here!"

"Holy bananas!" "A—shapeshifter?!" "…what on Mewni…?"

Darcy changed back laughing before she flexed and cracked the crystals, Moon yelled at Rhombulus to make more but it was too late as Darcy broke free and landed before them.

"Go on, crystalize me. I'm just gonna break free. We could do this all day but I have to go feed my pets. They have such…royal tastes~"  
"…you're the one who kidnapped them?! Where are they!"  
"Safe. But, if you apprehend me now, well, no one is gonna be feeding them. And that includes my lovely Hekapoo, she's such a doll, I wouldn't want nothing bad to happen to her~"

Everyone turned to Queen Moon, she gritted her teeth, Darcy smiled, "I've thought of plenty ways out of this scenario, you can't scry them nor will you find them without my help, so if you don't want to be responsible for 4 royals dying this day, you will let me go~"  
"…does that mean Pigeon is also under your control."  
"Why yes, they are, but that hardly matters now. They almost outlived their usefulness to me. So, am I dismissed?" Darcy asked charmingly.  
"…how are you causing the Fritz."  
"The what? Fritz? I have no idea what that is."

Darcy shrugged, walking past them to pick up her helm and headed for the exit.  
Whilst all present just merely watched, River slowly joining them.

"Are we really going to let her get away!?" "She attacked me!"  
"She has Hekapoo and the Spiderbite, Kelpbottom, Jaggy Mountain and Pigeon royal princes and princesses…she has half of the Big Eight!"  
"Someone oughta tail her."  
"Tag her with magic!" "That suit of armor will reflect it! We have to let her go…"  
"Mewni damnit! We had her!"

In the end though no one tried to do what was insisted, instead Darcy walked away from the castle and kingdom getting what she wanted.  
She was complete~ now it was just a matter of training herself to use all 8 coveted bloodlines.  
That vision…she's been in many tight and sticky spots before but for some reason…if that was indeed Marco, the Queen was quite ambitious.

And to think she was from _that_!

Darcy didn't bother much with Mewni afterwards, focusing on honing her fighting style, the bloodlines and the weapons she had.

Even without her meddling, Mewni's affairs were just in shambles.  
Raids were a daily occurrence.  
Kingdoms were driven ragged.  
The citizens were scared, confused and frustrated over how things have gone.  
Mewmans and Monsters in settlements were distrustful of everything.  
Royals still in control were at a loss with all that had happened.  
And the pervading air of hopelessness had blanket Mewni heavily.

Darcy had stripped Mewni's desire to fight back.  
And all that was left to do is leave it to fester and die.

Speaking of which even her captives after understanding their plight; they began to lose the hope of escape or rescue. Their will to live diminished too. Darcy might have overdone it but she wasn't gonna do anything half-assed anyways, so she taunted her captives over their situation trying to get some ire out of them.

"Uh-huh, that's right: starve. That'll show me." "…"  
"Alright, little lady, let's see how strong that right jab is—ow fuck!" "YOU BITCH!"  
"Hah…hey, good lookin'." "…"

She was moderately successful.  
But she was more interested in her other captive: Hekapoo.  
The Dimensional Scissor Enforcer was one tough nut to crack, of course Darcy could have just broken more fingers, toes, mutilated and other unpleasant things, she found so much more fun to make Hekapoo squirm.

From blindfolding her and saying the terrible shit she was about to do but instead just tickling her, to mercilessly teasing her about these smut books about her and Marco and sometimes this dude Talon or just talking about all the Mewman and Monsters she had eaten in the past year.

Hekapoo was more than uncomfortable in her presence now.  
Darcy would often lick her face and comment on her fear, how it was well deserved because sooner or later, she would stop being so sweet to her and that she would rather want the old Darcy back instead. But that day was far off, Darcy desired Hekapoo in ways she didn't understand but then she had so much time dissect it later.

Right now, after weeks of training and marshaling her remaining forces to Pigeon Kingdom and fortifying it with Lizard and her followers. She was ready for some big game hunting.

She strode into Hekapoo's cell, smiling at her.  
"How are you today, my love?"  
"Eat shit." Hekapoo snarled.  
"Ah, that's the spirit! Let's see what I can break your spirits with this time?"

Darcy made a show of pulling torture instruments and dropping them on the floor, Hekapoo felt a touch of fear as each one turned worse and worse before Darcy exclaimed and held something quite sinister.

Star vs the Force of Evil Season 3  
*Hekapoo screaming in despair * [lol, but for real tho]

It was a metal dome and it was placed on her head.  
And putting a Pony Head unicorn on her forehead drilling it until it stuck and bled.

"What is this?"

"Hey, speak up!"  
"…"

The Dimensional Scissor Forger began to hyperventilate as Darcy delicately wrapped her fingers around Hekapoo's lone horn, Hekapoo felt dread well up in her despite how much she pushed it down. Darcy smiled, purposely waiting making Hekapoo dread every second of contact she had with her.

Seconds.  
Minutes.  
Agonizing minutes.

"Look at me, love: look into my beautiful kind brown eyes~"  
Hekapoo felt horror rush into her as Darcy blinked, replacing her eyes with eyes Hekapoo knew too well.

Hekapoo screamed in agony, lulled in by Darcy as she used both Butterfly and Pony Head magic on her and herself, gripping her horn with brutish strength Hekapoo felt as if her mind was copying into hers through that blasted metal dome!

Darcy cackled as memories of Hekapoo flooded into her, viciously smiling as Marco flashed across her mind's eye.  
Nothing.  
Nothing was kept hidden from her, every interaction Hekapoo had with Marco be it mundane or intimate she knew, it was the worse form of invasion of privacy…

Even her most private and secret thoughts of him; thoughts that wholly belong to her.  
Darcy knew them now.  
And that was too much for Hekapoo.

"NO! GET OUT OF MY HEAD!"  
"Ooh Marco~! YESSS! IT'S LIKE I AM ACTUALLY THERE! FUCK I'D LICK THOSE ABS ALL DAY!"

Darcy groaned, biting her lips as she reveled in the memories of her captive, going so far as squirting in her legging until she was positively drenched in girl cum.

In the height of it all, Darcy broke Hekapoo's last horn and collapsed on the floor, legs spread and panting. Hekapoo did her best to mask her pain over her recently broken horn with seething gasps but she couldn't stop from crying.

"That…was…amazing~!"

Hekapoo did her best to glare but when she saw her begin to gnaw and eat her horn without pause or difficulty, she felt earlier dread was not for the memory copying…

Hekapoo watched in abject horror as Darcy stood up and undress as her body went to assume her voluptuous plump figure. Darcy smiled to herself, doing a pose or two before proceeding to beat herself up with the instrument from earlier. Even going as far as snapping her horn, Darcy wasn't at all holding back in her mistreatment; it was authentic as it could get.

It looked as if she really was tortured.  
She left and came back Hekapoo's dress, still torn and dirty from their fight and slipped it on.

Darcy smirked staring at Hekapoo,  
"Time to see our boyfriend~"

Hekapoo struggled against her confines as Darcy pulled out Marco's scissors, snapping them together and slashed a portal and hopped out yelling,

"Where's Marco?!"

 **Lacks sly orGies**

* * *

And that's it.  
Everything should be up to speed and there will be NO MORE FLASHBACKS. FOR REAL THIS TIME.  
All present events from now on. No more backstories. Zilch.

This chapter cause me so much more trouble than I ever thought possible...hah.  
So the long and short of this 5 chapter arc is setting up Darcy and the setting of Mewni: it's a shithole, kinda like canon. If you noticed Darcy had changed a lot from her first chapter to her last chapter mainly because she kept eating and adding to her wealth of faces and powers, the more she gains the more she loses her original self so to speak. That goes along with her original mission of being Hope to Mewni to having a God-complex due to consuming too much. As for her plan, she got the entirety of Mewni to fight each other and themselves no matter how big or small they were in the grand scheme of things.

And now she's on Earth. Yup, the 'Hekapoo' that showed up was never Hekapoo to begin with. And for the crystal to warn Marco, he went to Hestia then 'Hekapoo' arrived so that's a bust. If there are anymore loose ends feel free to PM, this fic has really gone off the deep end for the most part but I'm glad its back on track in the present.

In all honesty, I didn't even think I would be able to upload this chapter.  
Makes me wonder about the future of this fic sometimes...but then I still get avid readers craving more and I'm a sucker to oblige. This is for y'all.

 **Darcy's Gear and Powers**  
Hell Crusader Armor  
Misery Rose Sword  
FrostFlame Sword  
Magick, Unicorn Magic, Gills, Pigeon Eye, Thick Skin, Super Mewman Strength.

 **Knights of the Hood Members**

Dark Knight of Mewni First Class, the Demon of Echo Creek, the Monster Mauler, the Butcher of Beasts : Marco Diaz da Echo Creek  
Field Commander, Smut Writer First Class : Tad  
Knight of the Butterfly Kingdom, Squire First Class : Higgs de Mewni

 **Mewman**

1 Raymond Johansen  
2 Nickel Wise Fiction  
3 Bell '86 Socks' Luck  
4 Nathalie Woke Unredeem  
5 Elma TeaGod

 **Monster**

1 Astoria Deplorable  
2 Elf '76' Usu  
3 Leo Bookthief  
4 Mizar HQ  
5 Alec Ro VI0IVIV

Next Chapter:  
 **Marco vs Darcy** [Maybe]

 _tu ne me reconnaiss pas?  
_ I AM NRG

 **END OF TRANSMISSION  
**


	32. Chapter 31

.  
 **Disclaimer** : Kept you waiting, huh?

 **Chapter 31**

Darcy vs Marco

 **XxXxXxXxX**

* * *

Marco mulled over the news of a Mewni Civil War, again this was far from what he thought Mewni would ever do. He had stayed away and yet Mewni still fell into ruin, one side of him was apathetic, they deserved it for their incompetence…the other was just honestly surprised that they started to bicker so quickly in a span of a year.

He discreetly glanced to the rest of his tablemates: Jackie looked worried, Janna was more or less disinterested, Kelly shot him a concern look and Hekapoo was…studying him. That was odd…but then again she'd been through a lot so he let it pass.

Or so he would have.

"I understand that a year's time has passed for Mewni…but I find it very hard to believe that no one there would have called to plead with me if the situation was so dire."  
"It's simple Muscles: pride. You know how Mewmans are. Also, why you specifically?"

Marco opened his mouth before he promptly shut it.

Kelly looked at Hekapoo, "Why didn't you come here before things escalated?" "Oh, the royals thought they had things under control…forbid anyone from contacting the outside dimensions." "That never stopped you before." "There are times when a glaring Queen Moon would put a damper on my free spirit ways."

Marco frowned as Jackie and Janna merely listened in, trying to gauge more of Hekapoo's character from the talking.

"…did you come here right AFTER you escaped?"  
"Yeah…the moment I found an opportunity I cut myself a portal and leaped over. Look, maybe Queen Moon is gonna grill me when I get back but that bastard is no joke, if you want proof of how bad Mewni is…see for yourself."

Hekapoo pushed herself from the table and grabbed hold of Marco, pulling him and quickly slashing a portal, Jackie, Janna and Kelly reacted a second later,

"Well, c'mon, Marco." Hekapoo tugging him to the portal.  
Marco paused before nodding, moving to  
side kicking Hekapoo out of the café window.

Everyone stared in shock horror before Marco threw another $650 wad at the waitress and hoped out of the window, Traitor Sword in hand.

Hekapoo blinked being indented into a poor sedan, Marco marching up to her as she blocked the kick in the last second,  
"I'm going to ask you this only once: who the fuck are you."  
"Gah, what the fuck Marc—!"

Marco grabbed her by the horn and slammed her head into the car carcass.  
His face was pure fury as Hekapoo blinked away tears and blood, metallic on her tongue, the sword glittered and he brought it for a chop.

Marco grunted as two boot heels kicked him back, he tighten his jaw as Hekapoo pushed the car parts apart and she rolled her shoulders.

"You are one—paranoid motherfucker, Marco~ I thought I played her quite well. What gave me away?"  
"Hekapoo's portal is red."  
"Heh…I guess I couldn't copy that."  
Marco watched as the imposter grabbed her bloody face and literally tore it off.  
Mangled flesh stared at him as she stepped out of the ruined orange yellow dress pulling up a garb from underneath it all, just as her body went from sexually plump and short into tall and lithe.

Her attire was so loose she might as well been butt naked.

"Hello Marco~ name's Darcy~ or would you prefer mistress~" she purred seductively.

Kelly, Janna and Jackie stared from the café window.  
The waitress and occupants stared.  
And in complete honesty, beat off at the sight.  
Heck even traffic stopped and or crashed.

"Wow~ not gonna blush Marco?" she teased.  
"Meh, I've seen better." Marco deadpan.

"…" Darcy's smile didn't fall but the temperature did.

 _"Huh. This is usually the part Monster Arm chimes in.  
Or I get yelled at by the Elementals."_

"…word, Marco?"  
"…explain."

"Gosh. Rude."  
"Good."

Darcy smiled as the two faced off, people were gathering to see the commotion.  
Marco didn't let it show he was worried for them, so he barked at Darcy.

"What did you do to Hekapoo."  
"Ooh, what haven't I done~?"  
Marco glared, "ANSWER ME." "AND IF I DON'T." Darcy quipped impishly.

Marco felt an odd sensation at the back and forth between him and her, it felt…unsettling.

"You will."  
"Oho! Scary. If you must know she's been my love slave for months, I've explored every nook and cranny of her alabaster body~"

Marco used every ounce of will not to drool as he looked down on Darcy, loathingly.

"What have you done."  
"A lot of things, I'm guessing Mewni to keep this plot moving~ I've done a great many things, plunging it into chaos! Inciting wars are so much fun~!"  
"Hmph, I've fought in them. What for."  
"Well…because I could~ I'm so _full_ of diversity that I can't help myself! I could say 'No' 50x but say 'Yes' on the 51st but if I were to do it again I might only do it 20x before it changes! You see…it's never the same twice, I am a maelstrom of desire and debauchery and evil and wants and sickness; I just can't help myself." Darcy smiled as tears streamed down her face, Marco narrowed his eyes.

"AND I DON'T REGRET IT. BECAUSE YOU'RE THE CAUSE OF MY BIRTH, MY WRETCHED EXISTENCE, HOPE FOR THE HOPELESS, FOR MEWNI AND IT'S LIES." "I don't what the fuck you're going on about, but you will spill it without being cryptic!"

The near nude Mewman giggled, she slashed a portal and pulled out a familiar twisted sword and pointed it to Marco, whose eyes widen in shock at the sight of it.

"Like I said—oh, the sword? Yeah, I pulled it from this wretched Mewman's fingers, whoa!"

Darcy leapt to the side as Marco suddenly blurred forward, cleaving through the sedan, her eyes catching Marco's.

Fury.

"WHAT DID YOU DO TO HIGGS!? HEKAPOO!? ANSWER ME BITCH!"

Darcy spun away before using the FrostFlame to withstand an arc from Marco's sword, she blinked feeling suddenly in over her head against the fabled Dark Knight. She felt a sudden tug to the FrostFlame as if it was trying to fly out of her hand!

"What I do best: I destroyed them!" Darcy taunted.

Marco fell into a stance, feeling his muscles tense; ready to launch himself forward and split Darcy like a piece of plywood. Then Jackie, Janna and Kelly rushed to the broken window to see the commotion and Darcy's eyes fell upon them.

And she smiled widely.

 **Vengeance Volt!**

Marco threw the sword into the pathway of the lightning fork exploding from Darcy's fingertips before he slammed into Darcy. The Mewman tried to slash Marco with the sword only to have it whiz out of her hand and into his, "What the fuck—ack!?"

Darcy hacked up blood as Marco chopped it diagonally into her, cleaving through collarbone, he pulled back for another chop but a fireball erupting from her hand sent him flying. Marco grunted hitting asphalt, throwing off his singed shirt leaving him shirtless, Darcy stood up glaring at him, wiping blood from her chin.

"Fuck that hurts…damnit, Ignis why didn't you stop that?"  
No answer.  
Marco blinked.

"Now, you've done it Marco: I'm angry." Darcy snarled and slashed open a portal with the scissors and pulled out a black thorn sword and pointed it at him.

"I was planning to beat you to a pulp then take you back to Mewni and dominate your sweet boy pussy for every Mewman and Monster to see, make everyone lose that last shred of hope. NOW, I'M JUST GOING TO LOP YOUR HEAD OFF AND THROW IT AT THEIR FEET!"

Darcy swung and black thorn spikes came shrieking out, Marco sent out flaming and icy arcs before recalling the Traitor's Sword and diving for Darcy. She hissed and dodged the dual wielding Marco, blocking the sword strikes before her sword was cut in half by the Dark Knight's sword.

Darcy leapt back before grabbing the blade and pulling it, regaining its previous length and diving back into battle, this time avoiding the Traitor's sword swings. Marco spun and tried to end the battle quickly, the longer they fought the more collateral damage they were causing to Echo Creek.

Darcy's thorn missiles, his arcs and cleaving hits were wrecking the streets; cars were swerving to dodge them as they fought. He tried to lead her away but every time he did she would rush Janna, Jackie and Kelly in the café forcing him to give chase.

"Get back here, you fucker!"

Marco focused and tried to launch himself.  
Falling short and rolling on the ground, he shook himself off and tried to close the distance.

"What the hell, Sylph!...Sylph? Undine! Gnome!"  
No answer.  
"Fuck!"

Marco threw the Traitor's Sword and cut off Darcy who was rushing back to the café, Kelly was ready with her claymore but Marco landed in front and sent a savage arc at Darcy who flipped away.

Marco threw out a punch roaring, "IGNIS!"  
Darcy braced herself but when nothing came all she did was crash into the ground, peeved.

Marco looked at his hands, the bystanders staring at Marco as if he had gone mad. Darcy pushed herself up brushing off grime and sweat, "You keep yelling shit like that Marco, what the fuck are you even doing? Other than being a disappointment to my expectations! Everyone on Mewni either loves or hates your guts! I've heard nothing but legendary feats and absurd stories about you, day in and day out! But all I've been getting is this sub-par GARBAGE! Show me your true face, Marco! WhAt Is It GoInG tAkE!?"

Darcy's maddening eyes darted to Jackie, Janna and Kelly.  
Jackie and Janna looked ready to bolt while Kelly was ready to stand her ground.

Marco gritted his teeth, he didn't want to bring his sordid past to Echo Creek but it was here regardless…

He summoned the Traitor's Sword and slash above him and roared,  
"Come to me!"

 _[MARCO?! Don't you dare—ack!?] **[Ouchie!]**  
Out of my way!  
We're here!  
I'm coming too—oof!?  
Hey! Let go of me!_

Marco buckled as several Elementals slammed into him from above before the portal was closed from Prima's side courtesy of an enraged Seraph.

 _What's the matter, Marco?  
Hey, wait, oh by the ELEMENTS!  
What the fuck happened to my sister, MARCO!?  
"I don't know! They didn't answer me!"  
Ignis?! Oh, no!  
Oh, my sisters!  
They better not be dead, Marco, or I'll, I'll…  
"I swear on my life, I do not know!"  
Their asleep…its faint but they are alive…whoever did this to them…  
/Even Monster Arm…who…? Oh, by the Concepts…I know who did this! You met a PENDRAGON, DIDN'T YOU!?/  
"I literally do not have the time to answer these questions! I need your help now!"_

Darcy was unsure what Marco did but she felt the atmosphere change and she attacked, Marco threw the Traitor's Sword behind him before he dashed forward with the FrostFlame.

Darcy's eyes trained on the Traitor's Sword, _that blasted sword lets him make arcs and teleports him to its location…if I run after those three he can get back here just as quickly, that just leaves him with that sword…perfect~_

Marco locked blades with Darcy before suddenly he found himself flying back, Darcy giggled rolling her shoulders, showing her arms had grown, Marco narrowed his eyes. He launched himself and slammed blades, it took only two hits before Marco was overpowered and he felt his arms jitter and the sword bend to the brute strength as he was sent flying back again, skidding on asphalt.

"What the fuck are you."  
"I am Mewni's hope."  
"More like it's Scourge." Marco spat, Darcy laughed at the comment.  
"Funny you say that: I came from you."

Marco blinked.  
Darcy grinned.

"I am the Mewman Clone of Marco Diaz, I am their answer to the Dark Knight of Mewni~! But I've become more than that! I am the answer to Mewni…"  
"…so this is what made Mewni cave in…an abomination." Marco said quietly, his eyes traveling all over Darcy she smiled and bent over to show her killer cleavage, _how can Mewni be so stupid…_

"I wouldn't say that~ more like a God!"  
"So humble."  
Darcy smirked and readied herself as did Marco, he ignored the fact the both of them fell in the same stance.

"Let's see what's stronger: a clone or the original…a God or a Dark Knight."  
"Your not a God, so it will be me." Marco dashed forward, Darcy grinned, "Sure about that~!?"

Marco felt his arms buckle as the two collided, Darcy snarled surprised Marco wasn't sent flying, she pushed but so did he and they were fairly even.

"I was knocking you around a second ago!"  
"Yeah, well, Automata was tending to her sister, now she wants to fight."

Darcy's eyes looked to his arms and bare torso and saw it had a metallic tinge to it.  
Marco dropped from her field of vision and delivered an uppercut and sent her bouncing off a brick wall.

"Automata, Moku, Jewel, Raigu, Yuki, Dunes and Golem, I'm going to need all of your help!"  
/I'll help too Marco~ oh the police are coming, I know you got this under control so I'll send them away for you~/

Marco grunted as Musica ejected herself from him as he channeled the Elementals as Darcy recovered, "That's a neat trick, Marco, want to see mine!?"

Marco narrowed his eyes as the Mewman began to bulk up, scales and feathers grew over flesh, her eyes changing to match that of a bird and her maw filled with rows of sharp teeth along with claws.

Marco grunted as Darcy suddenly closed the distance and punched him in the gut, sending skidding and breaking a telephone pole in half.

The Dark Knight pushed himself up before his head was grabbed by a claw foot and slammed back into the ground, "You look better face down, Marco~! Gyahahaha!"

Darcy casually slapped the claymore thrown at her by Kelly, she turned to look at the bushy green hair girl, "YOU'RE NEXT."

"NO SHE IS NOT!"

Darcy yelled as she was sent airborne and Marco appeared above her and savagely axe kicked her down.

"DID I STRUCK A NERVE!?" Darcy laughed from the crater, Marco crushed her insides a second later, driving both feet through her midsection.

Marco saw what he had done, briefly closing his eyes because he had witnesses to his brutality.

"Is this the deepest you've been in a woman, Marco~?"  
Marco flinched.  
Darcy's arm turned swol and punched him in the side of his knee, an audible crack of broken bones and Marco's surprised yell sent tremors down everyone's spine.

Marco crumpled backwards, Darcy grabbed his legs and pulled it free from her carcass and tossed it to the side as Marco screamed in pain.

"Super Mewman Strength is no joke~ gotta say that fucked up my hand something fierce!" Darcy laughed off her own injury: her hand was missing leaving only a stump at the wrist with mangled meat and exposed bones.

It took only a moment for it to heal and she grabbed Marco by his foot and slammed him all over the crater, Automata frantically used her powers but that only made Darcy slam Marco even faster and harder. His broken unresponsive leg flailing, threatening to rip off.

Darcy brought Marco down only to smack her hand into the ground; he vanished.

Marco gasped for air as he landed next to the Traitor's Sword, Kelly, Janna and Jackie gasped at the sight of him.

"…eal…heal…" Marco croaked, Moku made several saplings grow around him, tenderly aligning his leg before becoming a tourniquet and brace. Other plants and herbs sprouted around him and began to cover his leg.

 _I'm not as good as Undine or Seraph but this will help speed up the healing!_

"MARCO~? WHERE ARE YOU~?" Darcy's singsong voice rang out. Kelly scrambled out of the café and grabbed her claymore standing between the crater and Marco, he shook his head frantically, "Get…out of…here…" "No way, Marco! She just thrashed you!"

Darcy hopped out of the crater and grinned, "Oh, so you want to play? I wonder if you'll burn as well as you look, shrub!"

Fire danced around Darcy's fingertips.

Marco gritted his teeth at the sight before he focused on the Drop of Seraph in his heart, accelerating Moku's healing.

Kelly brought her claymore to guard as Darcy tried to slash her, Kelly's entire frame jitter from each successive hit, Darcy taunted her as she pushed her back one hit at a time.

"I'm gonna split you like a log~"  
"Imma plant your head in my garden~ I wonder if you'll grow?"  
"Going to cut you into pieces and make you into a bookshelf~!"

Kelly felt her blood boil and swung as hard as she could, Darcy caught the blade and snapped it before chucking it at her.

Marco's heart shot to his throat as Kelly cried out falling to the ground.

Darcy's clawed foot held her down, "Now—ow!"  
The Mewman glared as Jackie's hand was outstretched, Janna had a piece of brick.  
She threw it, missing Darcy who snarled and threw Kelly at the two of them.

"That's right, fear me you bunch of thots!" Darcy crowed, she turned to face Marco who was struggling to get to his feet with his leg in a wooden moss covered cast, "That's right Marco, you must be scared of me! Appropriate~!"

Musica looked at the two from her vantage, the police forces were in disarray after she sang, she frowned at the words and began to sing, focusing on primarily Marco but knowing it had an area of effect,

 _/If I can't find the cure, I'll  
I'll fix you with my love  
No matter what you know, I'll  
I'll fix you with my love_

 _I'll fix you with my love  
And if you say you're okay  
I'm gonna heal you anyway~/_

Marco's cast crumbled away revealing a fixed leg but more than that was the fact his other injuries healed before Darcy's eyes, a surprised gasp confirmed Kelly was healed too. She glanced at Musica, figuring out what she was doing and threw a slab of concrete at the Concept, before throttling Marco.

Marco was sorely tempted to recall the Traitor's Sword…but knowing Darcy's tactic he left it behind and duked it out with her.

 _"Automata! Jewel!"_

Marco flicker forward and punched Darcy, he grabbed her by the arm and savagely kicked her in the shin, feeling bones break as she shriek before he did an improvised hip throw. His fists turned one metal and the other diamond and began to hammer away at Darcy's face, she roared and threw a punch getting Marco at the chin and he step back.

Darcy scrambled to her feet as Marco darted forward, she bellowed out fire from her mouth forcing him to slam his hands onto the ground,

JEWEL!  
CRYSTAL COVER!

A wall of neon blue crystals buffered the fire before Marco sent them flying to Darcy stopping her from burning everything behind him that included the café and its patrons. The Mewman snarled feeling shards before she backtracked for her sword, Marco took it as her fleeing and gave chase, leaving the Traitor's Sword behind again.

He called the FrostFlame just in time as Darcy found the Misery Rose and began to chuck thorn spikes at him, forcing him to deflect it.

 _Marco, she's forcing you on the defensive! The more you let her control the fight the more she's going cause mayhem around you!  
"I KNOW! But she's the source of this mess and I WILL wring the information out of her! Even if I have to beat her into undeath!"_

The Elementals conjure their powers to stop spikes thrown from killing bystanders be it a wall of ice or spouts of lava, Marco snarled, "Automata! FULL AUTOMATIC!" _Got it!_

Musica grinned at the sight of Marco wielding two handguns, Darcy leapt back just as the pistols began to fire.  
Like machine guns. Without Marco even reloading.

Darcy thought it was strange immediately as she blurred across the urban landscape to avoid being riddled with holes by the trigger happy Dark Knight.

/Are those pistols reloading themselves out sheer fear, Marco?!/  
"YOU. START SINGING. NOW."

Musica experimentally coughed before she sang out, Automata making a microphone stand for her as she leapt on top of a car as the two combatants duked it out.

Darcy swerved out of the hail of bullets as Marco was amped up by the Concept of Music, feeling the more powerful but aware of a growing darkness inside of him as well…

 _I'll endure the exile_

 _The darkness of night falls around my soul  
And the hunter within loses control  
Gotta let it out - gotta let it out  
Gotta let it out - gotta let it out_

The Echo Creek inhabitants watched in horror as Marco moved in inhumane speeds as he dueled against the Scourge of Mewni. Slamming blade over blade and when they did, sending massive shockwaves across the place.

Kelly felt cold sweat form at the sight of Marco delving into his darkness…

Marco snapped his twisted sword apart and in a whirlwind of fire and ice began to put the serious hurt on Darcy.

FIRE DARTS!  
FROST MISSILES!

Marco roared as he sent his projectiles forcing Darcy to dodge it but she quickly realized it was homing on her forcing her to destroy them, Marco drew up Automata again and bled the other Elementals into the bullets.

DIAMOND SLUG!  
Darcy felt a hole punch through her side.

SAND TURRET BARRAGE!  
Darcy felt as if her organs were buffed with a coarse sand paper.

Marco drew his swords again and roared into the heavens before blurring forward as Darcy held her sword aloft to meet him.

 _This demon inside has ahold of me_  
 _Clenching its power - trying to break free_  
 _Gotta let it out - gotta let it out_  
 _Gotta let it out - gotta let it out_

One hit from amped Marco made it very clear that the fight had gone south for Darcy, she buffed herself but to her surprise it wasn't enough! Marco was slamming his twin swords harder and faster than before, a touch of fear licked Darcy's innards.

A darken look had taken over Marco's face.  
And with an almighty swing, the Misery Rose was knocked out of Darcy's numb hands.

And a fist closing around her neck.  
Darcy's scream was muffled by concrete as Marco slammed her head into the concrete before he ran down the avenue.

 _Move fast, baby - Don't be slow  
Step aside – reload – time to go  
I can't seem to control  
All this rage that's inside me_

Darcy clawed at Marco's arm as he ran faster and faster, leaving a scar on the road and a trail of blood and bones. Residents that didn't run away, puked at the sight of Marco literally smearing a girl's head off.

"LET. ME. GO!"

Marco threw Darcy just before she could put hands on him with her transformed arm.  
Her face was looked as if it was taken out from a blender prematurely as gravel and asphalt mixed with her dangling mangled flesh, her eyes bore into Marco's darken ones.

Her body began to bulk and morph taking traits of Monsters she devoured as Marco pulled out Automata Pistols and began his assault once more, firing bullets from a pistol at the same rate of a 50 cal.

 _Pullin' shots – aimin' dots – Yeah I don't miss  
Branded by Fire – Born in the abyss  
Red hot temper – I just can't resist  
All this vengeance inside me_

Musica got the microphone stand between her legs as she grind up and down it as Marco and Darcy went into a frenzy, blurring across the place from shops, to the park to even the school sending the school mascot flying and crushing cars in the parking lot.

Darcy punched Marco in the gut and grabbing a sedan, smashed it across his face, only to find a diamond coating over it protecting him. She roared, spewing fire all over him before she gagged as ice lodge into her open orifice, Marco kicked her up the chin, breaking her jaw.

"Mmmarcoo!" Darcy cried in pain, she thrust a palm at him,

 **VENGEFUL BLAST!**

Marco summoned both his swords and poised it in an 'X', taking the magical blast head on, normally he would have evaded it but the music was denying him clear thinking only focusing on destroying Darcy.

 _All of these thoughts runnin' through my head  
Arm on fire, veins burnin' red  
Frustration is gettin' bigger  
Bang Bang Bang – Pull my Devil Trigger!_

Darcy recovered and uppercut Marco, grabbing his leg before he lift off too far and brought him back down, face first into concrete.

"YOU MISERABLE HUMAN! HOW DARE YOU—AHHHHH!"  
Darcy let go of Marco's leg as lightning raced around him, he rolled back to his feet before he delivered a blistering combos of kicks to roundhouse finishing with a flipkick, Darcy staggered back. Marco was already molding the Elementals together, Darcy charged up her own magic as the two laid waste to each other.

 _Embrace the darkness that's within me  
No hiding in the shadows anymore  
When this wickedness consumes me  
Nothing can save you and there's no way out_

Kelly felt the café shake, spying explosions at the distance, knowing full well Marco was using too much of his borrowed powers. Jackie and Janna steady themselves against the counter, this level of wanton destruction was surreal to the both of them, but as the explosions got closer they knew better it wasn't a dream.

Not when Marco crashed through the café and back out, Darcy tore in a moment later, completely unrecognizable as she used more and more Monster DNA to combat the Dark Knight.

Marco fused FrostFlame together and took up a pistol, his signature Mercenary style of fighting. The two clashed again, leaving the three girls speechless on the sheer ferocity and brutality Marco was capable of.

 _I'm a wildfire you won't tame_  
 _Igniting my temper, can't put out my flame_  
 _There's no way to contain_  
 _This storm swelling inside me_

 _I'm a bomb you can't defuse_  
 _Might just accept you're gonna lose_  
 _Can't turn down, I refuse_  
 _to hold back anymore_

Marco sent arcs at Darcy leaping over thrown cars and slabs thrown, cutting through them with the machine-gun pistol; protecting people from being killed outright by the attack. Darcy roared sending a debilitating shockwave pounding Marco into the concrete before Darcy leapt and stomped on him bursting him open.

Darcy looked at the bloody remains before it turned from blood into water, it shot up spiking her and freezing at the same time.

Marco burst out of the ground, sand pouring off him as he slammed his palms together,  
MAGMA UPPERCUT!

A fiery Marco burst from underneath Darcy and sent her flying into the air, flecking blood down below.

 _All of these voices inside my head_  
 _Blinding my sight in a curtain of red_  
 _Frustration is getting bigger_  
 _Bang Bang Bang – Pull my Devil Trigger!_

Marco's eyes shined with brilliance, he cupped his hands together and willed the Elementals into it, he screamed and buckled; falling to his knees as the incompatible Elements warred with each other as he tried to focus them.

Darcy recovered, growing wings and saw what Marco was attempting and copied him, she grew out a unicorn, tapping into more magic as her attack grew larger and brighter, near dwarfing the sun above.

"HOLY FUCK!"  
"RUN!"  
"We're all gonna die—YOLO, I hate your guts bitch!" "DAFUQ YOU SAY LIL DICK!?"

"Get ready to be smeared on floor, MARCO! **DIABOLICAL DOWNFALL**!"  
"WRATH OF NATURE!"

Marco brought his hands forth just as Darcy and the two twisting beams collided in a devastating boom, Marco could feel his muscles peeling off his bones as he was pushed back into concrete, Darcy forcing herself downwards to keep herself from being blown into the Mesosphere.

The two beams pushed against one another, getting dangerously close to each end but they persevere despite it all.

Musica frowned at the sight and sang out the last crescendo.

 _When the night ends it's not over_  
 _We fight through to get closer_  
 _Like a silver bullet piercing through_  
 _I throw myself into you_

Darcy's eyes darted to the Concept as she dipped into Marco and then it was over.

If it wasn't for her heighten awareness and sensory she won't have seen Marco overpower her blast before summoning his sword, fly up to her and slashing her, splitting into wood, ice, lightning, metal, sand and lava of himself and each taking turns bashing her before the real Marco slammed her back into reality.

Leaving her in a crater.

Marco grunted as he landed back on solid concrete, feeling himself buckle and collapsed to the ground, feeling the Elementals shriek and cry in concern and agony, his hastily made attack had cost them some bruising within him.

 _OUCHIE!_  
 _NEVER-DO THAT AGAIN WITHOUT WARNING!_  
 _DIAZ!_

 _"My bad..."_

Marco grunted as he tried to push himself up, propping himself with the FrostFlame the best he could, he was dimly aware he of the commotion he had caused was catching up: people were coming to investigate. They would all know now...

Marco sighed, picking up the best he could and dragging himself to the crater, the indentation had ruined everything, even the underground sewer and water pipes weren't spared as it rapidly filled the crater with a floating body. Marco gestured with his sword,

"Ice...missiles..."

Marco swung and brought the sword to guard swiftly as the body suddenly shot at him just as the missiles whiz past, Marco's eyes bore into Darcy's own: both filled with untold rage and menace.

"MARCO!"  
"BITCH!"

Marco threw her to the side as she slammed into an overturned sedan, she pulled herself up, even as her skin covered herself the merc knew he had finally done enough damage to hurt her.

Especially when the she kept her hand over her belly.

Marco savagely swung FrostFlame at her sending twisting darts but the Misery Rose cut them to ribbons, Marco recklessly threw the sword at her and summoned the Traitor's Sword, ready to end the fight but Darcy pointed the Misery Rose at him and the sword blade extended sending the FrostFlame spinning back at him. He ducked and cursed as the sword skitter behind him just as Darcy used the extension to push her further away from a surprised but now seething Marco.

"GET BACK HERE! I'M NOT DONE WITH YOU!" he threw the sword and warped close enough to slash the Fiend.

Darcy snarled.  
Spinning and kicking Marco back as the two came falling.

"This isn't over, Marco! YAH HEAR ME!? I'LL GET YOUR SWEET ASS, I SWEAR ON IT!" Darcy landed on her back and managed to scream as her insides slid between her fingers trying to hold it back in. She pitifully rolled to her side before furiously slashing a portal and pathetically fleeing from the enraged Dark Knight.

Marco pushed himself up and sluggishly gave chase before he realized it was futile. He wiped his chin and glanced around…the destruction he had caused.  
Musica looked around from inside him and waved a hand,  
/Don't worry about it, I'll call Chronos, she'll fix this./

"Good…" Marco muttered as his eyes dimmed and felt his body fall forward...  
He swore he could hear the cries of Kelly, Janna and Jackie in his ears…and a portal ripping open.

.

Darcy fell back in her hideout, howling in pain, clutching herself.

Defeat.

She ran. She ran away.  
With her tail between her legs.

She gritted her teeth at the thought: Marco did this.

"Damn you, Marco..." she snarled.

"Pfft~ looks like you failed~"

Darcy glared at Hekapoo as she looked at her smugly, Darcy pushed herself up and limped over to the redhead looking down at her, "I failed? No. Marco failed. I'm alive. I'm not dead. And that will cost him. Dearly."

Hekapoo narrowed her eyes at the words.  
Darcy shook violently for a moment before her bones cracked and skin split, she grunted as her body began to morph taking a fighter's build, better muscle and skeletal structure and improving her bodily function under intense stress situations for prolong time.

"I've fought paltry foes for nearly a year and trained to fight an imaginary Marco who I thought was this skilled based on what I have been told and gathered. But with real data, real experience of his physical and combat capabilities? Thanks to this defeat at the hands of Marco now I know how to improve my chances for our next encounter; he basically taught me how to kill him~"

Hekapoo was silent at the words, even though Darcy had been thrashed nearly to death...she was right...Marco had basically failed. Now he had given the Scourge of Mewni what she wanted...he had shown his hand.  
Darcy continued to look down on her, with maddening eyes, swirling with such hateful insanity of sire...her donor...her twisted 'father'.

She turned away from Hekapoo and dipped into the shadows, looking at the palm of her hand…a cut that did not heal.

.

"I told you, it's as if nothing happened!"  
"Who was she!"  
"I don't know, open the damn door!"  
"Oh, I hope Mr. and Mrs. Diaz isn't home…"

Marco's eyes snapped open before he realized he was propped against the door of his home, Kelly, Jackie and Janna hammering on the doorframe, a some pick locks by the doormat.

"I could always jimmy the lock, but after NachoMan here—Marco!"

Marco grunted as he pushed himself up, the girls took a step back as he dusted himself, "Are you alright?"

They blinked at him.  
"Are we alright? How about you!"  
"Marco..."  
"Dude...that was some sick fighting!"  
"...it wasn't pleasant."

He turned and opened the front door, no problem, Janna hopped up and down at the sight and rushed right in, he shook his head as he let the other two in.

He went to the living room just as Jackie, Kelly and finally Janna made it in, setting their things down and him to the kitchen grabbing a bottle of soda and cups and putting it on the coffee table.

They all looked at him expectantly.

"...yeah, let's not talk about what happened."  
"Like hell!"  
"Who was she, Marco?"  
"Met her today, believe it or not...look, none of this concerns any of you, I'll take care of it." Marco sighed, Kelly gave him a concerned look. As did Jackie.

"Marco…" "Dude, she nearly killed you. Heck, we nearly died!" Marco frowned at the words, he couldn't dismiss the concerns, they were in the crossfire, he couldn't discount their fears: they could have died today.

And Marco felt responsible.

 _"I should have known that wasn't Hekapoo…"  
Marco, you can't just foist the blame solely on yourself, who could have known?  
"…I could have."  
There he goes again, honestly how did we end up with such a pessimistic boy~?  
"Hey, you're the one who followed me."  
Cheeky~! There's the Marco we've been looking for! So what do you want to do big boy?  
"…Mewni, has the answers and I very much want to avoid the place but with all this business of Civil War and that monster running around, this time skip too…there's too much I don't know and I better see it with my own eyes."  
Those Mewmans are gonna blame and hate you for this mess.  
"…when haven't they?"  
/There shouldn't be anything holding you back then, oh by the way, all of your 'fun' has been cleaned up by yours truly. You can treat me to an expensive dinner later as a thank you./  
"Uh—" /No. The Sinful Sips does not count. I don't care if it's a '6-stars' rating./_

Marco sighed and shook his head, "You're right, this has to be handled right away. I'm going to get this sorted out."

He stood up suddenly, surprising Jackie, Janna and Kelly: they expected him to think it over some more.

"Marco—" "She could pop back here again, I better make sure she doesn't. And Chronos's dates would bankrupt me tenfold." He muttered the last bit to himself.

"Um, yeah. Heck, yeah!" Janna cheered, she grabbed on his arm, "So wha cha gonna do? Gonna go to Mewni? Hmmm?"

Marco rolled his eyes and got Janna off him, "This whole debacle is going to take some time so I gotta get an excuse from the school…I need to make a phone call."

Marco waved to them as he went upstairs to his room leaving the three behind.

The three looked at each other before they helped themselves to the soda and looked around the house. Since his return, no one was able to get in without being let in by Marco explicitly or some other condition, Janna for sure couldn't get in, his relatives were fine and Kelly was fine too.

Jackie…she didn't even want to try.  
Somewhere, she felt that she would be let in no problem, but in the off chance…she couldn't…it was something she didn't bear to know, to question why she was not allowed…

Jackie sipped her soda quietly, before she noticed how relaxed Kelly was.  
She didn't seem at all unfamiliar with her surroundings, they way she eased herself into a chair and glanced worriedly upstairs.

Jackie opened her mouth.

"Marco, I love you…but you're never gonna make anything better than your abuela, just stop." Janna said as she walked into the room, munching on something.

"JANNA. YOU SHUT YOUR DAMN MOUTH."

Kelly and Jackie tensed as Marco's yell rang down from his room, Janna grinned to herself, "Heh, I wonder how he could hear me." "Instincts. Probably."

Kelly said irritated as she looked at her claymore across the room, it was repaired but her bout with Darcy had shown she was a ways to go if she wanted to be by Marco's side. She mumbled an apology, feeling crappy about taking out her frustration on the girl, Janna made no outward indication she heard nor cared.

Jackie decided to walk about the place, seeing it changed quite a bit since her last visit, glancing at new furniture and family projects and photographs, seeing a subtle change in the newer ones, his smile not quite reaching his eyes or the way his shoulders slumped, as if burdened.

 _"…oh, Marco."_

"Hey. Let's eavesdrop on Marco's call."  
"No."  
"C'mon! We haven't been here in ages!"

Kelly was ready to retort but caught herself, Janna and Jackie however saw the blunder and the bushy hair girl sighed, "…whatever, let's go and see what's taking so long." "So, you've be—" "LET'S GO SEE MARCO."

Kelly stood up and took her claymore, Janna a little more wary now as was Jackie as the two followed her.

"Whoa there, that door wont open. Heck I put my ear against the door and I heard squat." Janna whispered, Kelly rolled her eyes and yanked the door open.

Janna gasped. Jackie raised both eyebrows.

"Yeah, I need a favor, and—really?" Marco balanced a cellphone between his shoulder and ear, he paused as he was in the middle of yanking his pants up as the three girls stared from the doorway. In true mercenary professionalism he continued to dress himself, Kelly apologized and forcefully yanked Janna and Jackie away, the former clawing for some foothold to continue ogling.

"Marco, where are you going?" Kelly asked from the other side of the door.  
"School."  
"Ooh, let's follow!" "As if I could stop you."  
"Do you mind, Marco?" "…no, you have a right to know, after what happened after all. And Chronos didn't manipulate your memories so it's clear what the Concept wants."

Jackie smiled to herself at the gesture, "Thank you." She whispered. "…"

It was another 10 minutes before Marco emerged from his room and the four waltz out of the Diaz residency and went to school.

.  
 **[EchoCreek High School, some time later]**

"Who are we meeting at the school, Marco?"  
"Someone with considerable sway; also an adult. Hopefully, she's here on time, she was going on and on about a year of hardship…I guess the time dilation wasn't a lie. And she managed to stay hidden despite this upheaval in Mewni; surprised me."

The four continued to walk till they reached the principal's front door.  
Kelly gulped. Janna eyed her. Jackie looked at her curiously.  
Marco sighed in relief.

"You made it, Eclipsa."

The queen sweetly at them.

"Hello, children. Hello, Marco. My, its been a whole year since I saw you. Did you know—" "Yes, time dilation. Mewni is one year ahead of Earth. I'm surprised you managed to stay low–key in all the madness."  
"I do have a certain charm in the time of crisis." "You call it charm, I call it Dark Magic."

The queen giggled before motioning them to enter, "I'm expected already by Principal Skeeves, come in, come in."

Eclipsa smiled warmly at the highschool principal, decked in a lovely violet business dress, her bushy hair combed and sleek, minus the cheekmarks no one could tell she was no different from another person. Human, that is.

Kelly, Jackie and Janna watched from the end of the room as Eclipsa explained in a diplomatic tone that one, Marco U. Diaz must come to Mewni to finish his Royal Squire Practicum.

"Yes, well, Mr. Diaz had gone on an extended Student Exchange before: he landed himself on very hot water. How will this be different."

Eclipsa's smile didn't falter, she handed him a folder and he read it quietly and quickly, he handed it back and straighten his collar, "If…if Mr. Diaz comes back within reason I will allow for this little getaway of his. He must have his teacher's permission to miss their classes, that is out of my hands and professionally speaking, I would hate to have my colleagues egg my car again."

"Aw, Marco's leaving again? Principal Skeeves, can't we go too?" Janna voiced her desire, Jackie did too a moment later, Kelly merely looked miffed at the two, they already knew.  
"No, Miss Ordonia, _you_ do not have official business there." Skeeves replied peeved as Janna looked rebellious and Jackie disappointed.

Eclipsa glanced to them and her lips slowly curled, Marco felt a shiver pass him, "I don't see why not, it would be lonely for Marco, comfort is a hard commodity in Mewni right now." Marco narrowed his eyes at a particular word the Queen just uttered.

The principal glanced at the Mewman then back to the two and sighed, "Fine, fine, Miss Ordonia, Miss Thomas you may follow our resident 'Bad Boy' to uhhh Mewni? Have your paperwork in order, teacher permission; parent's consent…" the rest was lost as the principal just muttered it.

Marco glared at Eclipsa as did Kelly as they left, Janna and Jackie racing to their teachers, the Queen's eyes lingering on the two,  
"What are you up to, Eclipsa. We already discussed our terms of this favor, what are you scheming?"  
"Nothing! Last time you were in Mewni, you didn't have anyone to turn to, this time it will be different: you'll have your—friends there to support you."

Marco stopped hearing the slight pause.  
Kelly too.  
"If you do anything to hurt them, Eclipsa—"  
"I swear, nothing of the sort, they'll stay in Knightshade, far from the conflict. They will be my esteemed guests, nothing but the best for them."

Marco eyed her for a moment before he drew the Traitor's Sword and slashed open a golden portal, Eclipsa curtsey before walking through.

Eclipsa walked into her bedroom and began to undress, Meteora rushed in to greet her before interrogating her,  
"Oh, Marco just wanted to come to Mewni, officially this time. By the way, you're going to have guests so be on your best-est behavior."  
"Whose visiting?"

Eclipsa smiled to herself, "Oh, just some lovely girls."

 **XxXxXxXxX**

* * *

How it goes, my avid readers, yes your eyes do not deceive you…  
I am still alive.  
Thankfully.

I missed the premiere of Season 4 and I just been caught up, and I gotta say...  
Have I been spot on.  
Hah, some times there is no joy in being right...

Before we all get teary eyed, updates are going to be skittish.  
If at all.  
It's the best I can do.

Music in order of appearance:  
Lady Gaga : The Cure  
Devil May Cry 5 OST : Nero's Theme, Devil Trigger

 _tu ne me reconnaiss pas?  
_ I AM NRG

 **END OF TRANSMISSION  
**


	33. Chapter 32

**.**  
 **Disclaimer** : these stress levels are way too damn high

 **Chapter 32**

Mewni's Darkest Knight

 **XxXxXxXxX**

* * *

"Should I buy life-insurance?"  
"…Janna, no."  
"What if I died?"  
"Oh my—you're not even going to be in the madness, Janna, geez."

Marco tried to leave the school with Kelly in tow, but after Janna and Jackie had gone to the respective teachers at record time, Marco had to deal with a rather clingy Janna and a staring Jackie.

Kelly looked annoyed at the sight.

Marco grunted as Janna practically hanged off him as they trudged through the near empty school hallway, no one but most studious students would stay back so it left the place rather uneventful. That and the janitor who always left a puddle for students to slip on.

"Janna, get off me."  
"But you can carry me so easily!"  
"Janna you should really get off, Marco." Jackie said quietly.  
Kelly's eyes were hard on her.

Janna felt the slight undertone and killer intent and wisely slid off, dusting her front,  
"Oh, fine."

Marco gave Jackie a glance and she did her best to look him in the eye, his deep smooth brown eyes that seemed to go on

"Jackie?"  
"Eh—what?"

The blond skater mentally shook herself as Marco slid out the Traitor's Sword, the FrostFlame summoned and consequently thrown through a portal to the glade.

"It's going to take too long to walk back home, here stand back I'm ripping open a shortcut." He did an overhead slash and a golden portal showed Jackie's home, he did the same for Janne begrudgingly after she whined about him treating Jackie better than she.

Jackie glanced at Marco as he quickly pushed Janna through her own before she could linger, "…are you okay with us going with you, Marco?" "…not really. Eclipsa is far removed from the war, you'll be safe there, but there is always a chance she could be reached." "…maybe I should stay here then."

Marco looked at her surprised, Kelly paused before she nodded, "I think that's a good idea, same goes with Janna."

Marco blinked, Jackie looked at him meaningfully, her green eyes meeting his brown ones, "…I don't belong in your world anymore, Marco." "…are you afraid of who I have become."

Jackie frowned at the words, not quite understanding.  
Kelly looked at him, her eyes reflecting sadness.

"...Marco, I may not understand what you gone through; couldn't fathom with— _her_ …but when you're ready, I'll listen."

Marco glanced at his feet for a moment before he gestured to the portal and she walked through, leaving him and Kelly behind. The blond skater couldn't hold back her sigh and rubbed her arm for a moment, thinking about how ferocious Marco had become and quickly went into her home.

She announced she was home to her relief her parents weren't home and she quickly ran upstairs to her room. She tossed her running attire aside and quickly pulled out her travel luggage from the closet and tossed the contents on her bed before she made it to her shower and washed up, flicking her bangs and reaching for her shampoo and conditioner.

Suds and the smell of tropical fruit and coconuts reached her as she rinsed herself clean and hopped out of her hot shower and wrapped herself with an equally warm fluffy towel. She tossed in her essentials into the luggage as she picked them through her closet before she came across her usual highschool ensemble and Love Sentence shirt.

She looked at the two with bittersweet memories.  
She quietly traced the middle figure, a slight gush of her buried feelings.

She folded both and put them into the luggage before she heard the door downstairs opened with a jangle of keys, Jackie put the towel on her chair before she put on some clothes. Jackie thought carefully how to broach the topic with her parents: letting her go to an uncharted dimension with the possibility of war.

"This is going to be a very awkward talk…" Jackie sighed to herself.

.

"Marco, you're really letting those two come aboard with you?"

"MARCO."  
"…I am, Kelly."

Kelly frowned at him, "When I wanted to go with you, you said no, why suddenly things are different." "…" Marco avoided her eye, she put her hand on her hips.

"Old flame?"  
"No, Kelly."  
"Please, Marco, we've been together long enough: it is." The Woolett sighed, she sat down on the school steps and patted on the space beside her, Marco reluctantly sat down.

"Alright, tell me: trying to get back with Jackie?"  
"No."  
"Marco, I hate to say I'm an expert on this subject: but I am."  
"…Jackie's different."  
"Star?"  
"Yep."  
"Mhmmm, you feel like you owe her an explanation."  
"Yes."  
"Does it need to be on Mewni? Wouldn't Echo Creek be safer?"  
"…I don't know."

The Woolett propped her elbow on her knees and rested her chin on her hands.  
Marco felt as if his decision was just as foolish as the task he was about to undertake, Mewni was in ruins, by their hands but his involvement no matter how indirect just gnawed at him.

"Marco…you really can't put Mewni behind you, can't you?"

"I know these past years has put you on the brink of ruin, its written all over your face, body, mind and soul; you can't hide it any longer. I don't think you should."

Kelly smiled sadly at the situation to herself and looked over the place where Marco was from, it was peaceful; unlike Mewni and the other dimensions they had explored together.

"It's a bad idea to bring them along…"  
"…do you think I should exclude them?"  
"I know the right answer is leaving them here on Earth, but if you do, I just know there won't be coming back from that decision."

Marco pulled the Traitor's Sword free and looked at his reflection, a tired 17-year-old Dark Knight Mercenary looked back at him.

"As long as Mewni stands…I will always have a reason to go back…if it falls, though…" his eyes darken for a moment, Kelly glanced at him just as he put the sword down, sighing and closing his eyes, hiding them from view, "…it would be no better, I would surely swoop in and avenge that horrid dimension."

"…are you really going back then?"  
"...I am, and as much as it pains me to go back, Darcy and Mewni needs to be dealt with: once and for all. I wont come back to Echo Creek until _everything_ is settled. Even if I must wade through the carnage that they have wrought; this folly will end."

Kelly hugged him for a moment feeling the radiating heat off the Dark Knight, every fiber of his being agreeing with his conviction, his ambition; a solemn pledge to oneself. She bit her lip, knowing that everything he had gone through before, no matter how bleak or bloody it had been, this would tenfold more difficult.

And knowing that, Kelly hugged her close friend all the more tighter, knowing this would be the closest and deepest he would slip into his inner darkness.

* * *

Higgs washed her face silently, she glanced back to the line behind her before she walked off so the next squire, knight, page, whatever could use the field sink. Its been a grueling campaign for the freshly minted Mewman knight, she knew times were tough but she had sorely hoped that her knightly promotion would be something she would look back fondly.

She got her ceremony.  
A razor sharp sword.  
And orders to march into certain doom.

Higgs grimly took them up, the sword sharp and true, but it failed to impress her like it did with her former sword: the FrostFlame. Marco's personal sword.

She clenched her fist at the thought, the memory a bitter one especially since the Fiend of Mewni had stolen it from her and used in reckless abandon against Mewni-kind.

"Higgs!"

The knight turned to see her field commander, she saluted him and he returned it before he pointed off the other end of the camp, "Relieve the detail there, they're going to carry the incoming wounded."

"Wounded are still coming? I thought the last of them came yesterday!"  
"There are always causalities, Higgs." He snarled, not to her but rather the situation.

The knight nodded slowly and went to the detail, who looked no better than the last refugees and wounded soldiers that came into the camp. Higgs stood guard, knowing one was not enough but their numbers had to been stretched so thin after the waves of mad Mewmans and Monsters tore across Mewni. Just when the marching army from the North had stopped and looked ready to be reasoned with, the Forest of Certain Death exploded with the last thing Mewni needed.

Droves of desperate Monsters and Mewmans.

Higgs knew somehow it was the Fiend's fault.  
There was no better explanation for Mewni's Plight.

She thought of contacting Marco Diaz for the longest time, but before she could act upon it came a slew of very disarming letters and warnings spreading across Mewni.

That if outside help was called upon: death would follow, beyond the likes that had already transpired.

Higgs threw out the notion and readied to argue but when kingdom's bowed to the threat, Higgs felt her tongue lash itself down. She wanted to argue the fact that external help would end the crisis; that they should do it because that was the surefire solution.

"…something is not adding up." Higgs muttered to herself as she stood at the entrance to the camp, her eyes scanning the scorched and barren landscape before her. It used to be a hardy grassland but after all the stampeding and battles, blood soaked soil and fires from torches and arrows, the once lively place was a mere shadow of what it used to be.

Higgs exhaled at the thought, it was the same wherever she went with her unit.  
It killed her fellow knights and squires.  
And it killed the overall morale as well.

Tending to the sick and wounded did not raise their spirits either, there was always another body to bandage or body to bury; it was wearing all of them out.

"…we're not going to last very long if this keeps up."  
"You got that right."

Higgs drew her sword faster than before and pointed it at a red hood figure, a battle axe poised to block it.

"Wha—how!" Higgs eyes bugled.  
"Shhh."

Higgs tensed at the command, ready to yell before she recognized the uniform, "You're that lout from before." "Ouch, insults."

Higgs didn't lower her sword, the hood took a step back, still out of view from the rest of the camp, the knight glared at the unwelcome visitor.

"If you keep up that pose, you're going to attract attention."  
"Maybe that's what I want."  
"You don't need it, there's a drove coming your way."  
"!?"

The hood held out a hand, "My fellow knights are rerouting them as we speak, I came here to make sure you didn't send knights and scouts to fight against them, you're not in the best shape to take out 50 desperate and hungry Monsters. And you would just get in the way." "Why are you doing this. Who are you."

The hood gave a brief bow, "Knights of the Hood, the Dark Knight's Elite Guard." "…wow, I think it's the other way around and he's protecting you." "S-shut up."

Higgs felt a smug smile spread across her face, for the first time in weeks.

The hood huffed before glancing to the distances before back to Higgs, "I've left my fellow hoods long enough, keep away from the forest, it is still teeming with monstrosities you wouldn't want to fight on any day. Even on your best."

He turned to leave, Higgs called out above a whisper, "Wait! You're Marco's guard, why haven't y'all contacted him? This place is in ruins." "Why haven't you called him."

Higgs blinked, "I—my leaders forbade contacting the outside dimensions. I think it was pointed at Marco specifically."

"Hmph, then my reason is the same: we got a warning about calling Lord Marco for help as well. This 'Fiend' is well versed in twisting everyone's arm, threatened to hurt a whole lot of people, beyond what we can manage." "So what are we to do? Just let that damn woman slaughter all of us while we do nothing."

The hood's head tilt at words of Higgs, as if the gender was unknown to him, "No, we're not going to take this lying down, one way or another: Lord Marco would have heard of this tragedy, and he will make the Fiend pay for it."

Higgs looked wistfully at the words before she tucked her sword away and cracked her knuckles, "Oh, he's going to have to get in line, because I have so much to repay her for…" "Hmph, you're after me; you can have her sorry carcass afterwards."

The two knights smirked at each other before going their separate ways.

Higgs looked at her sword for a moment before deciding to put it to the whetstone after the details came back, _the next time I see the Fiend; I'm going to lop her head clean off…_

* * *

"You're off to Mewni again?"  
"Marco, what about school?"

Marco knew his parent's were not going to take kindly to him leaving for Mewni, he made so many reasons to not go and now he was defeating the point of it all. Still, he kept his wits about him and tried to explain the situation the best he could, hoping to avoid any more confusion he was probably already making.

"Yes, I know I—FIRMLY stated I would not go there again, but…" Marco lifted up his hands for a moment before he let it flop to his sides, "It's like a bad habit: I quit that place but it keeps coming back…and I keep entertaining it."

Angie and Rafael looked distressed at the words of their son, " _Mi hijo_ , when will you ever put Mewni behind you?"

Marco gave them a look between aghast and exhaustion, shaking his head side to side, "I just don't know. I would say the big crater in the middle of town would be reason enough but Chronos got rid of my evidence." "…there's no crater in the middle of town." "Is it on the news? What happened?"

Marco held up his hands, quickly placating his parent's, "There was a big fight but nothing came out of it, but I have to just—I just need to go to Mewni to sort it out. The paperwork is already settled, I'll just pop in, bam bam bam and back here I go."

"Marco…it's never that simple." Angie said quietly, she stood up and hugged her son, "I can already see where this is leading too…and as a parent I should just say no, just stop you from going to Mewni to get hurt again…but I can see in your eyes, you're no longer a child. My son has grown up—and I don't know what I should do…"

Marco could feel the hot tears from his mother, he felt his father's hand on his shoulder, a reassuring squeeze, "You better get going _mi hijo_ , before your mother starts bawling and then you wont leave." "I'M NOT DONE HUGGING HIM!" "Ack! Mom!"

.

Marco packed his belongings with relative ease, having to do prep work for his merc lifestyle took a lot of the guesswork he would otherwise run into.

He looked at his Mewman brigandine, leather belt and concussive gauntlets; gear he had made during his tenure as a Royal Squire. Then his eyes drifted to the gear he personally made as a merc after he got good at making armor, spending some time under a blacksmith: leather spaulder + greaves + vambraces, dragonhide boots and jeans and waist belt with sewn pouches.

He laid out his armaments, he left some on Mewni in a stone coffin he would have to retrieve them for the upcoming battles. He eyed his Runic Warblade, Shadesbane, NightFang and Bandit Terror, weapons forged by the Elementals and Concepts of Prima.

Two of them were premade from eons ago.  
The other two he asked for and was delightfully obliged and forged.  
They didn't hold a candle to the Traitor's Sword in terms of utility and durability but it did make the forgers exceptionally happy to have their weapons dangling off him. In a way, they were with him in spirit, helping him even though now they are separated.

"…this should be enough." Marco inspected his gear before a red light flood entered his room, he felt his hair stand before he drew his sword, his pulse quicken at the sight of the Blood Moon Goddess.

And she looked awful.  
Her usual stunning appearance was marred by the utter exhaustion and despair etched into her face, her hair a mess and the flowing red cloths draped her feebly.

Her crimson eyes fell upon the dark knight and it welled up with tears, a cascade of glistening sliver down her face.

"Marco…"  
"…" he tighten his jaw, his grip even more as the goddess sat upon his windowsill.  
"I'm so sorry…"  
"…too late for sorry." He grunted.

The words seemed to physically strike the goddess, she laughed shakily at the words, "…too true…too true…"

Marco narrowed his eyes, he hadn't seen the goddess for a long while, maybe…not since she blessed his hoodie allowing him to see the blasted list of Impossible Tasks. Despite the vile curse that robbed him of his happiness this past years, curiosity got the best of him as he drew closer as she let tears roll down her cheeks.

"What's wrong with you." Marco said callously.  
"…could you forgive a wretched creature?"

Marco didn't understand but he kept his face stoic, the goddess looked at him dead in the eye, her eyes swelling with guilt and sadness.

"Will you go back to Mewni?"  
"…" Marco blinked menacingly slow, "…I have business there, but I'm not going because you asked. I'm nipping a problem by the bud. That's all."

The goddess perked up momentarily at first before she hopped off the windowsill, devastated at the reply.

"But you're going back to Mewni, right? Right!?"

Marco stepped back as the goddess shuffled closer to him, her arms reaching for him, he pulled back suddenly very cautious at the disheveled goddess. She looked as she was dying of thirst and he looked as if he was a fountain of spring water,

"What's the matter with you!?"  
"Please, please, go back to Mewni, I beg of you!"  
"..." Marco glared at her.  
"Why should I do as you say." Marco snarled, he held her back with the sword aloft, the goddess fell back, "After what you have done to me? After you let me slaughter my way up that list! After the carnage and tragedies I had wrought in your name! Why should I even entertain your demands!"

The goddess stared at him for a moment, tears spilling profusely before she fell onto herself and wailed in misery.

"Because Marco—let it end! Please, let this end! I can't bear it no longer! How much more are you willing to suffer? Please, I don't what to take anymore from you!"

Marco's nostrils flared at the words.  
Rage bursting from each word.

"HOW DARE YOU FEEL GUILTY! WHERE WAS THIS SYMPATHY WHEN I NEARLY DIED FOR THE THOUSANDTH TIME?! WHEN I BLED ON BATTLEFIELDS! WHEN I SLEW THOUSANDS! WHEN I WATCHED STUDMUFFIN DIE! WHEN MY WARBAND WAS TORN TO SHREDS! WHEN VIXEN DIED! HOW DARE YOU, GODDESS!"

The goddess shook her head wildly,  
"I've never bear witness any dancer that would go so far after so much misery and loss! To lose so much but the determination to continue on the path of suffering! Who would do such a thing to themselves…"

Marco shook at the words.  
He pointed the sword at her throat.

She didn't even register a sword capable of killing her was mere inches away from her vulnerable neck,

"You're—"  
"Wasn't Hestia enough?"

The words echoed unnaturally loud in the room, Marco felt…off-balaced.  
The name caught in his throat, he swallowed painfully before he croaked,

"H-Hestia? Who is 'Hestia'?"

The goddess looked at him incredulously, she leapt to her feet.

"Your daughter! Your flesh and blood! Your darling baby girl...I...I...took her from you..."  
"The heck are you on about? I don't have a daughter..." Marco said confused, only to be even more as his heart ached and hot tears dripped down his face. Surprised, Marco wiped his face furiously. An unfamiliar feeling of loss set on him, as if he should be grieving but could not as his rationale mind was conflicted with the information.

He was in denial.  
For reasons he did not know.

"I'm sorry, Marco...I'm so sorry..."  
"...I…don't understand." Marco whispered even as he drew Traitor's Sword back, the Goddess looked at the sword tearfully, she pulled her vivid red hair back, exposing her delicate neck.

Marco brought the sword up, ready to lop the Goddess's head, she only wept.  
The sword glisten in the red moonlight.

The sword hung in the air and came down.  
Hard.

"No."

Marco threw the sword down.

"No. You don't—you don't just get the easy way out of your Binding, goddess. You toiled over my red string for years; you have so much to answer for. For all the lives you've ruined." "…"

Marco glared at the silent goddess.

"Leave my sight, Blood Moon Goddess."  
"…please go to Mewni…undo this Binding…"  
"I still have Impossible Tasks to bloody my hands with. _That was the agreement_." Marco spat. A curtain of red blocked Marco from seeing her face.

"…all you have to do is go back to Mewni…"  
"...of course I do," Marco eyes darken at the words, "it started with Mewni; and it'll end on it too."

The goddess looked at him as the red flooding light slowly began to fade,  
"I am sorry, Marco…my gift, my curse…it was meant to make you happy…at all cost."  
"…that's a selfish gift, you have. I'm anything but…"

Marco watched the goddess vanish…grasping his head at the name, he winced when he rolled the words around in his head…

 _Hestia…my daughter…?_

.

"Oh, yeah, let's go! Open that portal Marco!" Janna jumped up and down, excited, Jackie stood nearby with her luggage as Marco stood in front of the school; just like before, even the decoration were there just for them.

Ferguson and Alfonso, Sensei and the three teenager's parents awkwardly watched as Marco held a magnificent but sharp sword aloft. Also the fact that three teenagers were ditching school apparently, Principal Skeeves opened his box and let out three doves.

"Huh. There were four—oh no. Er, ahem! Marco Diaz, Jackie Lynn Thompson and Janna Ordonia we will now commence the Second Inter Dimensional Exchange Program! Thank you friends and family for being present today for this, er, joyous occasion."

"Aw, heck, Marco's back at it again!"  
"Do you have a time share in Mewni or something?"  
"Quiet you." Marco quipped, Ferguson and Alfonso busted out laughing. Sensei only sagely nodded then bear hugged the three boys, before crying on the three of them, much to their dismay.

"Good bye school!"  
"We are coming back." Marco barked pulling free from Sensei.  
"You are especially coming back _Miss Ordonia_ " the principal snapped.

"I don't understand, you're letting our daughter leave school? Is this even legal?!" both Ordonia and Lynn Thompson said in unison. The principal shrugged.

Angie and Raphael patted them on the shoulder,  
"First time?"

"What is that suppose to mean?"

Jackie avoids eye contact with her parents and urged Marco to make a portal before their parents came back to their senses.

He slashed open a golden portal and hurriedly gestured to them: Janna dived in, Marco frowned and kicked her luggage through, Jackie picked up her luggage but Marco quickly lifted it with his own.

"It's fine, just hop through, I'll be there in a sec." "O-oh alright."  
"At least there's a gentleman here." Said Jackie's parents under their breath.

"Bye Mom, Dad, I'll be back soon!" Jackie waved and disappeared through the veil of the portal, Marco waved to all that was present.

He got the 'eyes on you' gesture from Jackie's parents, his parents and friends tearfully waving to him before he followed suit.

Jackie waited for him nervously on the exquisite carpet floor while Janna was already ogling the Knightshade Castle, home of Eclipsa and Meteora Butterfly.

Marco tried to smile comfortingly to Jackie but a slight tremble went through the Traitor's Sword, only made him smile grimly.

"You'll be fine here, Jackie."  
"…I know I will: you're here. But…" Jackie didn't need to say more; it was plain on her face.  
"…I'll find out." Marco looked down to his sword, knowing what just happened.

The three greeted their gracious host, Queen Eclipsa with a grumbling Meteora not far behind, both decked out in their royal ensemble.

"Welcome to Mewni, and my home Castle Knightshade! Ooh~ you'll have a swell time here!" Eclipsa cheered, Meteora tried to smile at the words of her mother.

* * *

The Dark Knight stepping through the golden portal did not go unnoticed.

Not all all.

All around Mewni surviving royals found the rings Marco had left for them falling apart after an audible crack: some adorned upon their finger, others kept elsewhere watched by an attendant, two threw it out a window months ago however later recovered.

Darcy narrowed her eyes as the two rings snapped in twain, rings stolen from the Rich Pigeon royals. She glanced at her Hell Crusader armor and Misery Rose, before she pulled a ledger from a shelf and began to flip through it, running a talon oh so gentle over the parchment looking down contacts, Liquid Lizard stood quietly in the corner.

A sinister smirk on her red lips…  
 _"Marco couldn't resist the hunt~"_

.

Star Butterfly sat on her bed, another day of going through stacks of paperwork with her mother, despite the antidote concoction she managed to get from the Spiderbite, her prolong exposure to the toxins had left her weaken, it would take a full year before she could be back in her prime.

Leaving Star to take more and more responsibility in her mother's stead.  
And she was floored, _and Mom did this at my age…no wonder she grew up to be such a grouch!...I guess that's why I got to be such rambunctious princess when she couldn't._

With all that had gone on recently Star took solace that the Fiend no longer went out on attacks; not like she needed to with the droves of Mad Mewmans and Monsters. Everyday some hapless denizen would come to the kingdom seeking refuge, with communications slowly being repaired the news they received were less than stellar.

But at least now they listened to each other's woes and it was a start to rebuilding each other's trust with one another. Shedding light to what happened for months while each other were in the dark made them realize that the Fiend had truly played them for chumps and their current situation could have been easily avoided had they been a bit more transparent.

And if they heeded the Dark Knight's request.  
The dead and damage were tantamount to that.

Star slid her finger across her phone, seeing the songs she had bought throughout her time on Earth, recorded at the Bounce Lounge, Ponyhead's totally legit 100% bought and not illegally downloaded tracks among others. Listening to them gave her some respite from all that was going on, but sometimes it resurface memories she wanted to keep buried.

Still she found herself pulling them up and listening to the song, the lyrics painfully true sometimes…

 _Lately, I've been, I've been thinking  
I want you to be happier, I want you to be happier_

 _"...I, Princess Star Butterfly, order you to stop Marco!"  
"What have you done, Marco!? Answer me!"  
"…just you and me…so just tell me why Marco."_

 _When the morning comes  
When we see what we've become  
In the cold light of day we're a flame in the wind  
Not the fire that we've begun  
Every argument, every word we can't take back  
'Cause with the all that has happened  
I think that we both know the way that the story ends_

 _"…what could I have done? But no Star, I would have not fought them or you if they just let me be."_

 _Then only for a minute  
I want to change my mind  
'Cause this just don't feel right to me  
I want to raise your spirits  
I want to see you smile but  
Know that means I'll have to leave_

 _Know that means I'll have to leave  
Lately, I've been, I've been thinking  
I want you to be happier, I want you to be happier_

 _"Star, I want to make this clear so there is absolutely no doubt: what I did, I did to keep you safe, Star… what I have done, I've done before on Earth and it hasn't changed since I came to Mewni."_

 _When the evening falls  
And I'm left there with my thoughts  
And the image of you being with someone else  
Well, that's eating me up inside  
But we run our course, we pretend that we're okay  
Now if we jump together at least we can swim  
Far away from the wreck we made  
_  
 _"And even if I wasn't your squire, Star, I would still do this because you are my best friend!"_

 _Then only for a minute  
I want to change my mind  
'Cause this just don't feel right to me  
I want to raise your spirits  
I want to see you smile but  
Know that means I'll have to leave_

 _Know that means I'll have to leave  
Lately, I've been, I've been thinking  
I want you to be happier, I want you to be happier_

 _"You're really doing this then, Star…"  
"Marco…I can't just let you go…"_

 _So I'll go, I'll go  
I will go, go, go_

 _So I'll go, I'll go  
I will go, go, go_

 _"You are my best friend Star…I love you."_

The princess shut her phone close and wiped her eyes with the back of her hand, smearing it with fresh hot tears.  
She held her hand out, ready to dry it with her bedsheet when her eyes caught sight of the ring Marco left behind, she continued to wear it the other with Queen Moon, River couldn't bear to see it and his thick finger wouldn't fit it either. She straighten her arm and gazed longingly at it: a simple gold band.

Her vision blurred for a moment, Tom hated the fact she wore it—

Her thoughts interrupted as she snapped her head at her hand.  
The golden ring glimmered red hot for a moment, Star immediately grabbed it, ready to yank it off.

An audible snap and the ring fell apart.  
Turning to nothing more than pieces on the carpet floor.

Star stared at it for a moment, eyes widen.  
For a long moment she wondered if it really happened, bringing her hand to her chest, grasped with her other hand.

Fear fell upon her.

Marco.  
Marco had come back to Mewni.

Her eyes welled up with tears.  
Why would he come back?  
Had he heard the tragedy that befell Mewni?  
Would he come…to revel in the ruins of Mewni? Gloat that they had it coming—for a long time.

But warmth blossomed in her heart.

Marco.  
Marco had come back to Menwi.

Her first Earth friend.  
Her best friend.

Tears slid down her face.  
Best friend. Soulmate. Squire. Eyesore. Neglected. Dark Knight. Scapegoat. Traitor.

The princess sat upon her bed until her mother came through the door, confirming that the ring indeed broke.  
She nodded tearfully.  
She wasn't sure if it was out of fear or joy anymore.

.

Buttercup looked up from his book, feeling a sudden chill, he closed his book quietly and stood up, stretching underneath his favorite tree in the grove. He glanced up, seeing past the branches and leaves, the sky had a strange tinge to it, he looked towards the horizon feeling a sense of foreboding but also excitement.

"You can sense can't you?"  
"Of course, Oblivion, its time."

The ghost smirked.  
The historian chuckled.

"I wonder when the lad will show up."  
"Oh, he'll show up when he needs to: the boy never disappoints."

The ghost barked out laughing,  
"That he doesn't! I wonder what kind of trouble he stirred up this time!"

 **XxXxXxXxX**

* * *

Hey, y'all avid readers

The set up has begun, this conflict should really only last 3 chapters but they'll be long meaning my update will be crapshoot speed.  
So typical speed.

As for the latest state of the franchise, I know of the curse being broken but I wonder where they got that idea from?  
Eclipsa trying to be a model royal in her own kingdom, Marco putting his sword in a place of ice to hold back a fire demon, etceteras etceteras. I also know the show is slotted to end some time in May and they are cranking out the episodes to make that possible so we are going to see the end of the franchise this year, yays and boos for some of us.

Songs:  
Happier: Marshmello ft. Bastille

tu ne me reconnaiss pas?  
I AM NRG

 **END OF TRANSMISSION**


	34. Chapter XX

.  
 **Disclaimer** : a hot take on A Fallen Knight. H'What?!

 **Chapter XX**

Bad End

 **XxXxXxXxX**

* * *

Marco sat in a dark cell.

The sound of water dripping somewhere was annoying but after for so long…it was something he could tune out. It wasn't hard after all…

He'd been in the cell for nearly a year.

With Mina smashing through the tower and nearly killing everyone in it; they fought valiantly but only a Dip Down Queen Moon and Princess Star could body the insane Solarian. Who immediately denied what she did and accused both Marco and Star of stopping her from stopping from destroying Meteora, the child of Eclipsa.

The Queen of Darkness…

Marco clenched his jaw at the name.

She was mighty calm the whole ordeal, not even batting an eyelash when Mina crashed right next to her or when she threw around Marco, Star, Moon, River, Hekapoo, Rhombulus, Omni, Tom and Ponyhead

 _"And why would she?"_

Marco thought bitterly, " _She was the one who addled her after all…when her mother passed she made a spell and made the Solarian warriors turn on each other; thinking they were fighting enemies and when they realized they killed their comrades, well…Mina's loyalty kept her from offing herself throughout the years…"_

Marco could remember the Queen's gloating, after Mina was subdued and 95% of the knights of the kingdom beaten to a pulp by Mina, she took the wand and happily skipped away. Oh, they fought to keep her down but after Mina had thrashed them they could barely keep up with the Queen of Darkness.

Except him. He turned the Traitor's Sword on her. And that got her…to panic.

"YOU DARE TURN THAT SWORD AGAINST ME?!" came a shrill cry, the queen's spell buffeted Marco but he cleaved through them easily, "AFTER ALL I HAVE DONE FOR YOU, MARCO! YOU ARE TRULY THAT SWORD'S NAMESAKE!"

Marco grunted at each blow, his vitality powering each swing, he managed to bring Eclispa down with a blazing arc and she scurried back, fear stricken at the sight of Marco marching upon her.

Only to have him fall to his knees and faint. Unable to stay awake from the sword's sapping powers.

Eclipsa sneered at the sight and with a booming voice, announced she was free and couldn't have done it without Marco and Star; and she would come for Moon and all of Mewni.

Queen Moon was beside herself with rage.

She locked up Mina. And she locked up Marco as well.

He grimaced at the memory.

He stood in front of Queen Moon, King River and Princess Star. In shackles. With a few hundred knights, hastily bandaged and glaring at him. The MHC were not far from him either and looked upon him in disgust.

"What do you have to say for yourself, Marco?"  
"I—!" "What did Eclipsa promise you?" "She—!"  
"Why did you help her escape!?"  
"I DIDN'T! SHE'S JUST TWISTING THE SITUATION!"

Marco went on and on why he wouldn't help her until he was huffing for air even as the knights pointed their weapons, Moon looked as if she was questioning her decision to interrogate Marco, he was just a Squire after all…

"…I think you're right…I'm sorry, its just, it's Eclipsa…of course its Eclipsa, she would say that." Moon sighed, she walked down the dais and with a glowing hand undid the shackles, "I'm so sorry Marco, what came over me. You're Star's friend, you've been always good to her; you wouldn't—!"

Marco gasped as Moon's magic severed the last chain and brushed against his cheek, the moment it did his cheeks lit up with crescent moons.

Moon stared as Marco felt color leave his face. He yells and pleas to the royals fell on deaf ears as he was dragged away. Star cried as Moon questioned her, River in between his wife and daughter, his eyes were daggers on Marco.

 _If I got locked away  
And we lost it all today  
Tell me honestly would you still love me the same?_

"Star! STAR! NO! LET GO OF ME!"  
"WHAT HAVE YOU DONE STAR! DO YOU HAVE ANY IDEA!"  
"I-I didn't—"  
"Moon-pie!"

 _If I showed you my flaws  
If I couldn't be strong  
Tell me honestly would you still love me the same?_

Marco stared as a furious Moon appeared hours later in front of his cell,

"I, Queen Moon Butterfly, hereby sentence you, Marco U Diaz to life in prison…you are stripped of your rank and privileges as a Royal Squire. I sincerely hope helping Eclipsa was worth it to you, boy."  
"You can't do this!" Marco pleaded, she gave him a cold look. "Ah yes, even your sword has been confiscated: it was your possession. Now it is Butterfly Royal Heirloom, a passable replacement since you are the reason for Eclipsa taking the Royal Wand."  
"You can't have it. That sword only obeys me."  
"Are you sure?"

Marco's jaw slammed on the floor when Moon held aloft the sword…but it changed, it was _elegant_ but it had a certain elegant refinement to it. Something akin to Moon's tastes.

"It did shock me an awful amount of times, but when I managed to think through the pain I said you were unworthy, how you helped Eclipsa, a renegade Queen and a poor master you would be to it, well…see for yourself."

She tilted the blade reflection to him and all he could see was his distraught face. She left without a word as he stumbled back into the darkness of his cell.

 _Right about now  
If I judge for life, man, would you stay by my side?  
Or is you gonna say goodbye?  
Can you tell me right now?  
If I couldn't buy you the fancy things in life  
Shawty, would it be alright  
Come on show me that you know_

Marco sat in his cell, he was fed. Enough. Not to be starving but neither to be content either.

He only had enough to last him to the following day… And as if his torment wasn't enough. The knights ridiculed him. The guards ridiculed him.

Sir Lavabo tried to see him when he could but when he stopped abruptly…Marco got worried. He begged for information, doing and saying humiliating things did the guards finally tell him that Sir Lavabo was sent on a quest.

 _A month later._

Marco received a very somber Moon, telling him that Sir Lavabo had perished during the quest. His will stated that Marco attend the funeral if anything had happened to him. Moon denied the request and Marco roared and raged in his cell.

"LET ME OUT! YOU CAN'T KEEP ME IN HERE…YOU CAN'T…PLEASE…SIR LAVABO…"  
"Tsk, he died cause of you, ya dirt bag _Royal Squire_. He thought the quest would set ya free." the guard spat.

 _Now tell me would you really ride for me  
Baby tell me would you die for me  
Would you spend your whole life with me  
Would you be there to always hold me down_

Marco had other visitors.

Kelly caught wind and tried to visit him. She tried to slip him a file but was quickly found out and detained. She was banned from Mewni for the rest of her life.

Higgs didn't say much, she stood in front of his cell and glared at him. Balled up in her fist was Sir Lavabo's coat of arms, she was training to be the next the Knight of the Wash.

 _Tell me would you really cry form  
Baby don't lie to me  
If I didn't have anything  
I wanna know would you stick around_

Star visited him once and fled when he cried out to her. Reached out for her. He heard Tom at the very end comforting her.

Star visited him again, half a year later.

She had been thoroughly questioned by her mother, spilling everything she knew and what the two of them had done. She was beyond angry, but Star being her daughter she could only do so much, but Marco was not safe from her wrath.

Marco pleaded with her, begging her he had done nothing wrong, that Moon was punishing him because she could not execute Mina, a Solarian was not something easily killed, no beast nor Monster could, not since the time of Queen Solaria. What she didn't know was the sword's could truly do... So Marco was what she flexed her will upon instead.

"I told her everything, Marco."  
"We should have told her at the start."

The princess shook her head,  
"I should have said so sooner, then maybe…"  
"Eclipsa played us from the start, Star. She must have been a jolly good time doing it too."  
"Marco…"  
"Star, you don't think you're Mom is going to keep me here forever? She's going to throw back to Echo Creek—"

"Marco." Star said louder, he stopped, "Marco. I think my Mom is seriously going to keep you here. Ever since the Wand was lost, and Eclipsa is free, its been hard to keep Mewni under control. It's mayhem out there, Marco. Mom said we're so close to a Civil War."

Marco stood there, unsure what to do.

"…Mom said I should start acting like the princess I'm supposed to be; I had my time to be wild and crazy with my friends but with all of this…I have to step up to my birthright, Marco."  
"W-what are you saying, Star?"  
"Mom…doesn't want me to keep seeing you Marco. Tom's really worried too."  
"What?! I understand your mother, Star but—"  
"She said she's going to crystalize you."  
"…no, Star, no, not that! I could be stuck in there for—you got to get me out, Star! That's inhumane! Look what happened to Eclipsa, she went 300 years into the future because of it!"  
"You think I didn't want this Marco!? I begged, I cried, I tried everything Marco! I did everything I could so she wouldn't do it!"  
"Star…"  
"When I'm queen, I'll get you out of your crystal, Marco, I promise. I'll be older…and you'll be still 15 but then you're free right?"  
"Star think about what you're saying…my parents, my friends…I'm going to be the same as her, as Eclipsa…I'll live in a different time, Star!"  
"Well, its better than being dead Marco!" Star snapped, "What else can I do? What could you do!?"

Star slapped her hand over her mouth, "…no, Marco I didn't mean it like that."  
Marco just stood there, fully realizing what had happened: he was powerless, at the mercy of those outside of the cell…

In his spiraling despair he didn't even register Tom's voice calling out to Star, the princess looked back at her best friend, she said something but it didn't reach him. Her eyes welled with tears before she turned away,

"Good bye…Marco."  
"Star please—Star no!" Marco cried.

 _If I got locked away  
And we lost it all today  
Tell me honestly would you still love me the same?  
If I showed you my flaws  
If I couldn't be strong  
Tell me honestly would you still love me the same?_

"Hey, meat bag." Marco looked up, Hekapoo stared at him from beyond the cell bars, "I shouldn't say this but your big day is coming around the corner."

"…"

"Hate to be the smithy to say it but you blew it up big time; if only ya been honest with lil ol' Hekapoo. You wouldn't be wasting away in some dank cell."

"…"

Hekapoo shook her head, "…I thought you were smarter than this, better than this, you really made me think you were one in a lifetime, well in mine it would be forever…but you just had to lie for her, _your princess_."

"…"

"The sad part is: she wasn't even your princess. Face it, dirt bag, you should have told Moon that Star was doing all that crap with the portals, that she was talking to Eclipsa, everything. Sure it would ruin your friendship and relationship but its better than dying in some cell forgotten, your family and friend never ever EVER finding out what happened to you! Oh, Marco you fucked up big time."

"…"

"Ah. You really were one of a kind. See you around. Or not."

Hekapoo waited for a hot minute before she left, done tormenting the teen. With her gone, Marco finally let his tears dribble down.

"…I should have…"

 _Let's get it down  
All I wanna is somebody who really love me much  
A girl that I know I can trust  
To be there when money lost  
_ _If I did not talk nothing else to give but love  
Would that really be enough  
Gotta need to know  
Now tell me would you really ride for me  
Baby tell me would you die for me  
Would you spend your whole life with me  
Would you be there to always hold me down  
Tell me would you really cry form  
Baby don't lie to me  
If I didn't have anything  
I wanna know would you stick around_

Marco watched the steady drops of water.  
He had done everything.  
Raged through his cell.  
Punched every stone in it until his fist bled.  
Yelled at the top of his lungs at the injustice and his innocence in the entire matter.  
Tears wet the stone floor as he lamented his fate and that of others he knew...Kelly didn't deserve to be banned, nor Sir Lavabo losing his life and worst of all the loved ones he left behind in Echo Creek.

Sometimes he would wake up screaming, drenched in cold sweat that Star indeed kept her promise but after 30 years of being happily married, or worst that he watched silently as Tom took his crystal prison and tossed it into a portal to an unknown destination, where he was never found. Each day was longer than the last and some nights he dreaded to sleep in the fear of the following day would be the one that would forever seal his fate.

He was filthy and scrawny in the 20x20 cell, his bed no better than a thin blanket and a threadbare rag wrapped around a rock to make it bearable to use as a pillow, light shone from above through a narrow shaft, just enough to illuminate his filthy prison.

Marco laid back against the stone wall, waiting for the meal that would fill his shallow cracked ceramic bowl. For a time he thought of just refusing the food and just starve to death, use his blanket as a noose and other macabre thoughts to end his existence but every time he thought he mustered up the courage...his teachers, his friends, his parents came and stopped him from following through.

"What do you want me to do?" Marco croaked, he gazed out of the cell and hunched down, "I can't escape this prison and...if I can't even do that, I...I don't deserve the Traitor's Sword...Buttercup and Oblivion wasted it upon me...Queen Moon is going to pass that sword down as if it was her own..."

The mere thought of it...the person that chained him owning the sword that bestowed upon him by his teachers, who trained and encourage all the time in the glade, who trusted him!

Marco felt his hair stand on ends. "I trained long and hard to be worthy of that sword! What has Moon done?! What has she done to deserve _my sword_!" he looked up at the stone ceiling.

"THAT SWORD BELONGS TO ME! YOU CAN'T KEEP IT AWAY FROM ME!" Marco roared as he stood up, the guard came running around the corner and snarled at him.

"Ya shut yer trap boy!"  
"BRING QUEEN MOON HERE NOW!"  
"I ain't going to tell you again!"  
"BRING HER HERE NOW!"  
"I don't like your tone." he mocked. Marco readied to bellow at the Mewman again, but the guard lifted his quarterstaff and shot it through the cell and knocked Marco against the stone wall, knocking the wind out of him. Gasping for breath, Marco watched as the guard spit on him and left, grumbling about the hours and the prisoners he had to watch over.

Marco felt a strangled cry escape him. But his eyes burned with fury at the strike. He held out his hand and thought of it squeezing around the guard's fat neck, "AH!"

Without warning fire exploded around his hand and he sat up waving around, something metal clanged against the wall, he looked at his hand before looking at the wall: his sword laid on his bed. He scrambled for it and lifted it up, it retained the elegance that Moon besmirched it with, he growled and waved it a bit before it trembled and turned back.

He smiled at it before a sinister smile replaced it, he glanced at the cell bars and yelled, "HEY GET OVER HERE!" Marco didn't notice the sword begin to bend and curve at the hilt, forming a jagged look.

He heard the stomps of the guard and he cocked his arm back, the sword lit up at his command. The guard appeared across him ready to yell and his quarterstaff already cocked to him again when he froze seeing Marco. His eyes went wide at the sight of Marco savagely smiling at him, the Traitor's Sword ablaze.

"HEL—!"

He didn't get to yell anymore than that as Marco swung as hard as he could and a brilliant blazing arc came screaming out and sheared through the cell and severed the guard in two.

Marco smiled at the carnage before he cut his cell apart and walked out, he was malnourished and weak, but he never felt more alive! He smiled darkly as guards came running to see the disturbance, he smiled even wider as the sword lit up again, the guards screamed and the entire castle shook afterwards.

* * *

Moon gasped when the sword vanished from her hands, she blinked at the loss of the Royal Butterfly Sword and her thoughts raced who could have it: Marco.

"Damn that boy!" the queen cried as she quickly made for the prison, just then she tripped as the castle shook. She blinked looking around before more followed before she ran and pulled a rope cord, signaling an attack.

"Guards! Knights! BATTLE STATIONS!" Moon yelled down the halls as she raced for the prisons, sweat formed on her brow and neck as explosions followed the rumbles.

She turned to another hall before she raised a magical barrier to block a blazing arc that nearly blindsided her.

"Darn."  
"…Marco."

The queen saw the Ex-Royal Squire before her, he wiped his chin with his sleeve and tossed an goblet aside, bread crumbs and sauce on his shirt, it looked like he raided the Dining Hall before finding her.

Marco smiled at her, not the one she was accustomed to, no.  
It was a livid one.  
She could feel the utter hatred fueling it.

"How did you get my sword."  
" _YOUR SWORD_?" Marco barked with laughter, he shook his head mockingly, "IT WAS NEVER YOUR SWORD. I TRAINED DAY IN AND DAY OUT FOR THIS SWORD, ALL YOU DID WAS STEAL IT FROM ME."  
"How dare—!"

Moon didn't get a word out as he unleashed a blazing dark arc that cleaved through the barrier and sent her flying through the castle.

Marco let out a wounded battle cry then laughed, "Don't you ever…ever talk about as if this was yours!"

He chuckled stupidly for a second, he paused feeling something drip to his lips and he wiped at his face with his sleeve seeing vivid blood.

"…well fuck…I better get out of here…" Marco mumbled as he thought where they could have put his scissors, his memories murky after his confinement and indulgence of destruction.

He paused again before rolling away as Star came zooming in down the hall in her Butterfly Form. Marco sluggishly got to his feet and held the sword in perfect poise contrary to his condition,

"Ah, Star…good to see you again."  
"Marco what are you doing?!"  
"Busted myself out…you see I realized…if I went with your stupid plan, what's the assurance you'd let me free?" Marco questioned, he paced to the side as Star did the same, "For all I know…you could have left me there...alone, forgotten in some godforsaken place."  
"I would keep my promise, Marco!"  
"That's not good enough!" he roared, "I follow your plan and what? I go back to Echo Creek 10, 20 years later, if at all? What of my friends and family, hm? My parents would be heartbroken looking for me, what would happen to them, hmm?! No, you should have just let me free."  
"Well, you're free now, so stop doing what you're doing!"

Marco laughed at Star, she felt cold sweat run down her back, "I am free…and I intend to stay that way, Star…"

He raised his sword, there was no time for his scissors, he would just have to

He leapt back as Star tried to blast him.  
He turned to look at her a glowing hand pointed at him; furious she would stop him!

"You're really doing this then, Star!?"  
"Marco, I can't just let you go!"

Marco scoffed, he leveled the sword at his best friend,  
"Like mother like daughter, I suppose!"

He ran forward his sword dragged on the floor as Star made herself a magical blade and the two traded blows.

Or just one.

The Traitor's Sword gleefully broke the blade to pieces, eyes wide Star didn't process the sudden destruction giving Marco time to channel lightning from the sword to his hand and blast her into the wall.

Star coughed as she slid to the ground from the attack as Marco coughed up blood and knelt, feeling the damages catching up to him.

"Stay away from my little girl, knave!"

Marco rolled away as River came at him with a double-bladed battle axe, he snarled at the man responsible for humiliating him for weeks back on Earth. And Star's heart shot up to her throat knowing that.

"RIVER!"  
"BACK YOU FIEND!"

Marco stood up even as blood poured out of the corner of his mouth and nose,

"YOU TOOK **_E-V-E-R-Y-T-H-I-N-G_** FROM ME, RIVER!"

Star and River watched in horror as Marco held the sword up high, it chattered viciously as it grew jagged angry teeth, it lit up black writhing flames,

 **RETRIBUTION!**

A thundering crash came as the arc came, Star held up her hand and blasted it with her golden death ray pushing it just enough. River screamed and leapt away, if it wasn't for the blast it would have killed him no matter how far or what he cowered behind.

The arc however still took half of the castle with it in a mighty explosion, Star sat there shaking at the sight of her castle nearly smeared off the face of Mewni. River was somewhere alive, his groaning confirming it.

Star shakily stood up, completely drained of strength, it took everything to stop the arc.

"Hmph, not bad. Let's try that again."  
"!"

Star looked up startled to see Marco ready to unleash another arc, the sword up high once again.

"Marco, no!"

He glared at her before brought the sword down, cutting open a rift instead, he coughed up more blood, he wiped and looked at her in disgust,

"...as much as I want to never see you again, Star.  
YOU HAVEN'T SEEN THE LAST OF ME."

And Star watched as her best friend walked through the portal.  
She wouldn't see him again 3 years later…

* * *

 **[Three Years Later…]**

* * *

Moon was laid in a crater.  
Star groaned as she picked herself up.  
River roared at Marco,

"How dare you show your face here again Marco! First hiding behind your Ward now you—!"  
"Shut. Your. Fat. Gob. River." Marco drawled as lightning struck the Mewman and smashed him across the floor, the axe he threw at the last second bounced off the Dark Knight.

He dusted his blood stained hoodie, looking at the cut that was made and looking at the skin beneath.

"Automata, you're a wonderful Elemental, did you know that?"  
 _DIE IN A HOLE, MONSTER!_

Marco smiled, he looked across the castle, and sighed happily: everything was on fire and nearly collapsed at his doing.

He glanced at his back to see the Magic High Commission groaning at their collective ass beating he gave them. Omni laid face down, Rhombulus was put through a wall, and Heckapoo…

She struggled against Ignis, the Fire Elemental as she put her in a full nelson and held her down even as she swore up and down what she would do to Marco.

"Shut your trap you wench!" Ignis hissed before she made Hekapoo head-butt a pillar.

Marco smirked at that, "I wish your sisters were more cooperative." "They would if you let them!" "Ah, that's fine, you're the only one that I really care about." "You should care about them too! C'mon Marco, you promised to treat them better!" "…ah, alright, I can't say no to that pout." "I. AM. NOT. POUTING."

Star looked up to see Marco snickering at a blushing fiery woman, for a brief moment she could see the Marco she knew…the kind Marco, the dorky Safe Kid of Echo Creek, her best friend.

"DIE!"  
"Sit down River."

Marco swayed under an axe blow before he blasted the king with frigid ice from his hands.

"Papa!" Star yelled as her father flew out of view, the sound of ice shattering spoke his fate.

Marco's head snapped to her and she shrank at the sight of Marco's eyes.  
All black except for a deep glowing sinister green for his iris,  
 **"Ah, Star, so glad you're awake."**

"Marco please…you don't have to do this…any of this…" Star pleaded as the Dark Knight smiled at her and with each step he made, loud crunches of wood, stone or bones was beneath it, echoing across the destroyed castle, the kingdom was no better.

He came charging through the front, all by himself.  
At least that's what they thought.  
Then from his fingertips came blasts of the elements, fireballs, waterspouts, tornadoes and earthquakes were at his command. He tore through with ease and if that wasn't enough he brought his Earth technology with him: guns. Lots of guns.

Plate armor were nothing to a hot lead bullet.  
He hosed knights left and right before he ran out of targets.

Moon and herself tried to stop him but he invited them to attack him, he even stood still for some spells and to their dismay he muscled through it.

And they fought.  
From the town to the castle doorstep.  
And inside of the castle, top to the bottom.

Marco was having a grand time.  
He told them he was toying with them, if they were Eclipsa, well…he would be fighting for his life.

"Oho! You're toying with us are you!" Moon snarled as she channeled her powers, Marco nodded amused,  
"Oh. I am. You see, ECLIPSA gave me this scar." He pointed at his left eye, "Before I killed her that is. Her. Meteora. And Globgor."

Moon and Star stood there in shock.  
He smirked,  
"Oh, they pushed me to the brink. Remember there were a couple really bad Mewni-shakes, by the way stupid name, Earthquakes, EARTHquakes, much better, anyways that was the result of me and Eclipsa duking it out. Ahhh~ good times. Nearly died too…didn't you ever wonder why the Wand came back to you?"

 **[FLASHBACK TIME]**

Eclipsa stared as her kingdom was aflame by the Dark Knight she created, he rained down lightning and meteors from on high before he came crashing down sending tremors.

Her subjects and minions, who were still alive tried to dispose of the Dark Knight, died painfully as he brought up spires of ice, steel, stone, wood and glass, impaling them and left there.

She thought of fleeing but when he announced that it wouldn't matter, he would set the entire Mewni ablaze to smoke her out. It solidifies her choice.

Run.

She didn't get far.

Meteora, Globgor and herself saw the Dark Knight race after them and sent them crashing into the ground.

"Grrr, Dark Knight? Hah! I've fought those! Killed and ate them!" Globgor boast, Eclipsa's face drained in color as Marco wasn't even fazed by the threat, in fact he smiled.

"Well, Globgor, I hope you wont disappoint your reputation precedes you…Prince of Darkness. Let's see whose darkness is deeper!" "Hmph, lets!" "NO! Globgor stop! He has the Traitor's Sword! It can kill Immortals! What do you think will happen if it cuts you! We have to run!" "Then we get rid of the sword then he's dead!" Meteora yelled.

"Sure, here you go." Marco tossed the sword at their feet, "Here also a pair of Dimensional Scissors! Throw it somewhere far, far away from here. Because I don't need that sword. TO. KILL. YOU. ECLIPSA."

Marco smiled as the three stared at him, as he had lost his mind.  
Eclipsa cut open a portal with the scissors and kicked the sword into it.

The moment it closed, Globgor and Meteora leapt at Marco, he smirked and grabbed Meteora and threw her over his shoulder. Globgor turned titanic and scooped him up and closed his fist, feeling the body in his palm.

"So much for a Dark Knight…what!?"  
"Peek-a-boo!" Marco grinned as he pushed the hand open, he smiled at the giant, Eclipsa stared, as did Meteora.

"Grrr!" Globgor tried to close his fist but Marco kept it open, the size-shifted used his other fist and punched the Dark Knight.

"AAAAAHHHHH!" Globgor howled as he pulled back his fist: broken.  
"Oof, that sorta tickled~!" Marco mocked, he pushed the hand wide enough for him to escape, but not before he snapped one of giant's fingers before flipping him over, almost cartoonishly.

The land rippled from the crash.  
Eclipsa was sent flying into the air before she hit the ground, Marco landed before her, smiling.

"Oh, Eclipsa, this wont end well for you."  
"When my family is at stake: nothing is out of limits, Marco."

And fighting ensued.

Eclipsa, Meteora and Globgor were fearsome.  
Taking three of them were suicide; a fools errand.  
But Marco relished such a thing.

They were handful 3v1; dogging Marco at the start.

Even without the Traitor's Sword, Marco brought forth the elements down on them, magic bounced of him as he pummel Globgor into the side of the mountain with his Imperial Fortress: Alexander Mode until the size-shifter could barely blink let alone breathe. Before that he was casually tossing the Monster, they tried smashing him with boulders and trees, but he shrugged them off and broke Globgor's toes for their troubles.

Meteora seeing her father thrashed tried her luck and Marco slammed her with bouts of Force of Nature and Wrath of Nature; she ended up like her father.

Eclipsa unleashed her most powerful spells.  
Dark magic contamination spread to her neck but Marco wasn't denied, he blasted her with combination elements, whirlpools filled with glass and katanas, flaming shurikens, lasers from above, mudmen that exploded, screaming birds made out of electricity and hate, all manner of things that she never expected from the boy.

It was a battle of attrition and Marco showed no signs of stopping or slowing, every time Eclipsa came with a spell or invented one, so did Marco combining elements and making her pay for it.

The queen fought until she was on her knees, gasping for breath, she raised the wand to blast him but Marco kicked out of her hand. She cried at the pain, the pain all over her body before she gave one last command:

"Fly…back…to the…Butterfly Kingdom…"  
"Wasteful. Ah well that's my next stop anyways."  
"What…are you…how could you…get this strong…you're just a filthy human…nothing about you…"

Marco slapped her.  
Hard.

"Human. Hah. Yes. Well this human just wrecked you, your husband and your heir."  
"…how?"

Marco smiled,  
"I had a great teacher."

 **[FLASHBACK INSIDE OF A FLASHBACK TIME]**

"Fuckin'…bastard…"  
"Hah…hah…well damn…you're a tough one, StudMuffin."

Marco tried to grin as he laid against the wall with a couple bullet wounds, as StudMuffin, his teacher for the past 3 years laid in a pool of his own blood.

"I…shouldn't…have trained…you…"  
"Hmph…really now? Regretting it?"  
"…bastard…why…"  
"I needed to be good…you were the best…I wished you didn't stop me, Stud, I really respected you, when you said I was your protégé…it meant the world to me."  
"Then…don't do…what you're about to do…" he wheezed, Marco smiled, "You know I want revenge. Once I have it: then everything will go back to the way it was."  
"No…no…it wont…"

Marco groaned and stood up, he limped over to the merc and placed a hand over his chest, he blew off his legs and arms.

"Hear me now Elementals, if you don't want to die inside this meat bag, I'm giving you a way out. But you're going to do what I want when I want, none of the sass you usually gave my mentor."

 _AS IF WE'RE GOING TO YOU!?_  
 _AFTER WHAT YOU JUST DID!?_  
 _WE'D RATHER DIE!_

"…I see, alright then: the hard way. Ignis."

 _What?_  
 _Wait, AHHH!_

Marco groaned as the Elementals were ejected out of StudMuffin and seeped into him, he quickly chained the Elementals to his will, his skin bubbled and jutted as if knives were beneath his flesh. He groaned and wrestled control over them, Ignis stood behind Marco, demure and guilty, Stud looked at her in disbelief,

"Ignis…why?"  
"…because I know what he went through, he deserves justice."  
"…Ignis…please, Marco…don't hurt them...that's my last request."  
"...fine, I'll honor that request: on the grounds they don't give me a hard time."  
"…ya little fucker…"  
"…I'll miss you, Stud." Marco whispered, Ignis patted his shoulder as the two watched the life leave his eyes.

 **[FLASHBACK OVER, BUT NOT FOR THE FIRST ONE]**

"Your teacher must be sooo proud."  
"He was…until he wasn't."  
"Ah, more treachery."  
"Well, I had one more, but that—AAAHHH!"

Eclipsa took his gloating until he looked away, cutting him with a poisonous Butterfly Knife magick from her palm.

"Too bad for you, Marco…that's old magick, it'll never heal and you'll die from it, there is no cure." Eclipsa cackled.

Marco stumbled back and held out his hand, flames wrapped around it before it revealed the Traitor's Sword.

"Sorry to disappoint then…"

Marco opened both his eyes, each one pitch black.  
Eclipsa gasped.  
However, only one had a glowing green iris.

"Huh. I really did lose the eye. No matter. I wont be dying any time soon anyways."  
"W-what—what are you!?"

Marco towered over the queen, his sword glistening in the moonlight and firelight from the distant kingdom that was on fire still.

"I'm not a Dark Knight, hah, far from it: I am a _Fallen_ Dark Knight."

Then the sword came crashing down.

* * *

"Hey, can you fix this?" Marco stood on an asteroid and pointed at his useless eye.

The Fell Dragon looked at it,  
 **No. It's gone. The Fell activated after you lost the eye. You asked for:**

 **The Strength to Defeat Your Enemies.**

 **Bravo. You chose a great definition for your Fell powers.**

"Yeah, well, I guess I'm going to be using an eye patch. Just like that crazy coot said I would. I could be B*g B*ss now."  
 **I have a better idea. Here.**

Marco watched as the dragon pluck out its own eye and held it out to him, he did the same, he held down his bile as he pulled out his useless left eye and tossed it aside as the dragon implant its own.

 **Well, how do you feel.**  
"…powerful."

 **That eye of mine can: dispel illusions, night vision, thermal vision, see vast distances, predict movement or copy it if you wish, cast illusions, hypnotize, discern foreign text, negate certain magick, clairvoyance, see through objects and other stuff I can't care to remember.**

Marco tilted the sword and looked at his new eye, it was green alright but instead it the glowing iris formed around the blackness in the shape of a four pointed shuriken.

"This is some next level N*ruto."  
 **A what?**

 **[FLASHBACK END]**

With Marco's dragon eye taking on Queen Moon, Princess Star, King River and anyone else brave enough to challenge him was child's play. He broke Moon apart, her Butterfly Form with the Wand was nothing with the Traitor's Sword, Fell powers and eye and the Elementals plus all the training he received; and guns. In the end he quite literally tore the magick out of Moon and threw down from the top of the castle.

Star took the Wand and tried her luck but Marco simply smashed her, floor after floor and every pillar and staircase he could find.

Higgs, brave Higgs. She came charging in, decked in her Knight of the Wash garb, he told her to leave while she can, she didn't need to die. She refused and Marco regrettably honored her with a fight to the death, as all knights would have wanted. He left her buried in the Wash.

He faced River without a shred of mercy, he told the King that he tore through Mewni before getting to their kingdom. In one day he took out the Big 8, gave them an hour to muster their forces before he tore across the place within an hour.

Spiderbite was set ablaze.  
Jagged Mountain was leveled. It was plains now.  
The ocean was dried up.  
Cloud Kingdom crashed into the ground. Then it exploded.  
Pigeon Kingdom had cats. Lots of cats.  
Lucitor experienced a bitter winter. Tom, oh he fought, now he didn't.  
Johansen Kingdom was no more.

The King went into a berserker rage but Marco matched the King in his fury and the two knocked each other senseless. Until River was sent flying out of the castle only to return with an axe and then smashed into the floor by lightning.

Before River returned the MHC tried their luck.

Marco quite literally did the same thing he did to Omni like he did Globgor: beat him. Rhombulus tried to incase him but he kept breaking the crystal.

"…I just realized, all you do is encase people in crystals, do you do anything else?"  
"I can punch your face!"  
"…oh my god, how are you the muscle of the MHC."  
"RRRRAAAAAAGH!"

Marco punched his head until he stopped moving, leaving cracks all over it before throwing him through a wall.

Hekapoo watched the entire fight transpire, she came up to him and he glowered at her, "Alright meat bag, what do you want." "Revenge. You locked me up, accused me of being in league with Eclipsa, tortured me for it, unjustly—!" "Alright, alright, geez. Will it make you feel better if we were locked up for a year, like you?"

Marco narrowed his eyes, "Do you think that will appease me? After all you did to me?! All of you...you don't know what you did to me in that forsaken cell! You most of all! You think what you said didn't cut me to the marrow?! None of you will escape my wrath."

Hekapoo sighed, she pulled out her scissor blades, "Have it your way."  
Marco smirked, "Hah, no. Cat fight." "What, scared—cat fight?" "Cat fight."

Ignis leapt out of his body and tackled Hekapoo, she tried to flare her off her but Ignis just took the heat.

Star came back to fight.  
Marco put her back down.

Leading back to this moment…

 **"Ah, Star, so glad you're awake."**  
"Marco please…you don't have to do this…any of this…"

Marco chuckled, "Why? Because you're getting what you did to me? You left me in that cell helpless, alone, fighting for my life. You knew I was innocent...but you did nothing."

Star watched in horror as march forward, his sword glistening, his eyes devoid of kindness…

"STOP IN THE NAME OF THE SUN!"

"…okay, who said that." Marco looked around.  
"I did."

Marco frowned seeing a teenage walked out of the shadows, decked in a red hoodies, navy jeans and boots, sporting red hair with yellow horns sticking out of them, her oranges eyes on him.

"And you are?"  
"Hestia. Dimension Breaker. Timeline Breaker. Timeline Cop. Pick your poison."  
"Okay. How about dead?"

He sent a blazing arc at her but she swatted it away with her sword.  
Marco blinked.

"...how."  
"You think yours powers would work on me!?"  
"Yes, the sword and Fell will—"  
"Wait, hol' up," Hestia pulled out her phone, she scrolled through it before she nodded, "Okay, yeah, I can beat you."  
"How can you be so sure? My Fell will—"  
"Only on enemies. I'm your daughter, so it wont work." Hestia said simply.

Marco stared at her.

"My sword." "I have the same one." Hestia waved hers around.  
"...whose your mother." "Her. Yeesh, is that Auntie Ignis? Hi! Wow, good times." "Um…hi, dear?"

"Doesn't matter!" Marco seethed, Hestia rolled her eyes, "Uh huh, go ahead Dad, see what happens."

He swung.  
Hestia raise a brow.

"You see pops, when you went full 'Fell', never go full Fell, it gave you powers to stop your enemies but not me, your daughter, your family." "But my other powers! A gun?"  
"I have a gun to. And really you're going to shoot me?"  
"…ah—"  
"No. You're not."

Marco stood there,  
"But what happened to me, I—"  
"Listen dad, I know what you've been through, its bad, but this timeline..." Hestia shook her head.

"I don't believe you're my daughter! And with—with her?! I'd rather have one with Kelly!" "Ouch, Auntie Kelly…I mean I don't blame you but if you're going to be like this Dad, I'm going to stop you."

Marco leveled the sword.  
"You couldn't stop me if you tried."

Hestia spit to the side,  
"Fine. I, Hestia Ubaldo Pendragon-Diaz, shall defeat you."  
"Wait did you say—!?"

 **FLAME VALKYRIE!**

Fire exploded all around Hestia, a flaming crown on her head and flaming wings to match. Her sword was swathed in flames, her eyes burned blue and the next thing Marco knew was him on the ground with the sword pried from his hand.

His dragon eye plucked out.

"You're such a troublemaker, Dad…alright, siblings lock down this dimension we'll sort it out later."  
"Wait what!? How did you beat me so quickly?!"

Hestia looked at him, "Flame Valkyrie is sorta my latent power I inherited from Mom, you see I when I used it I can—"  
"Hestia, let's go, I'm done!"  
"Ah! Okay, coming Marcus!"  
"…how many are there of you."  
"12."  
"…noice. What's going to happen now…"  
"…well, we're going to sorta freeze this timeline until it can be evaluated properly. I'm not fit to do it yet…far from it, I mean I'm still a teen for your sake, when I'm older and hopefully wiser, I'll come to a decision about this timeline. And it wont just be me, my siblings will help me, my family too, my friends, my teachers, Grandpa Pendragon and even the Concepts if they aren't so moody."

Marco looked at the ceiling,  
"I did a lot of bad things."  
"I know, Papa."

* * *

Hestia sighed as she gazed upon the many timelines that were wrecked due to the disruption made from her mother and father's doing.

"There are so many of them…" Hestia groaned her head banging on a console, Marcus patted her on the back, "C'mon now, boop! We had good ones too." "Yeah, I know but it sucks that we gotta fix them…I really want to just get into some shenanigans :( "

Marcus laughed, "Hey, we spent years in some timelines, we had to pull you out of some." "I know. But Sunflower is worse." "Only cause Dad and Mom would spoil her rotten. I swear."

Marcus grinned before the siblings found another timeline in trouble, their base of operation on an asteroid orbiting Prima.  
"Alright let's see...whoa, this one has a psycho Marco-clone…Darcy eh?"  
"I mean we dealt with that before…right?"  
"Dunno…let me go in solo first, might be real dangerous. For all of you! Hah ha!"  
"…that's not funny."  
"Sure it is~! How bad could Darcy be?" Hestia shrugged, before she ripped open a rift and leapt through.

 **XxXxXxXxX**

* * *

Hestia enters the fray!  
Oh, Darcy is indeed a fearsome opponent, without a doubt Hestia.  
Who knows what it will take to defeat her.

Songs in order of appearance:  
R City ft. Adam Levine - Locked Away

Also, avid readers complained about and wondered what it would have been if Marco had gone dark. Darker. Welp, not far from this. I cut around the corners real fast but you get the gist: not good. For anyone.

To be honest, Hestia could be her father but it'll be a real doozy for her, especially since 1. that's her father 2. she's super attached to Marco 3. sure she's fought trained and gone on adventures, but like her chapters never in the same degree of Marco who literally fought for his life. In time she'll beat him but not just yet.

[Also quick shout out to that Guest, who picked up the fact Star didn't have the Wand after Marco's break out, as I've said I sorta rushed production so some tidbits and inconsistency did trip me up. Much thanks!]

 _tu ne me reconnaiss pas?  
_ I AM NRG

 **END OF TRANSMISSION**  
 **[24.05.2019]**


	35. Chapter 33

.  
 **Disclaimer** : we're in the fanfiction Endgame now.

 **Chapter 33**

Mewni Civil War:  
Dark Knight of the Old Mewni

 **XxXxXxXxX**

* * *

Marco swung hard with a bar of fire, meeting metal and whirling away to avoid being countered by his opponent, he kept the sword on guard despite the writhing flames licking and warming his face.

He poised himself for a moment before lunging forward; a feint as he spun, a whirl of flames enveloping the Dark Knight and hiding the tarnished blade. He gritted his teeth when his attack was met with cold steel, he spun away throwing flaming darts knowing it was a futile attempt, the opponent lazily dodged them and came in swinging.

Marco grunted as he held his ground, his boot biting into the dirt as he muscled through the assault and pushing off his assailant. He cocked his arm back and sent a wave of fire, it was neatly cut in half; Marco took the chance and attacked at the window of opportunity, a thrust for the heart.

He felt the jarring parry and pivot to the side, narrowly dodging the counter thrust and regaining his footing. He panted heavily, he wasn't making any progress: they were evenly match despite all the years he incurred. He noticed the disdain on his foe's face and glance down, he was standing in a patch of flowers. Marco felt a savage grin on his face and slammed his sword into the ground, an explosive wave of heat boomed from the epicenter of the sword, decapitating the nearby flowers and sending the petals aflame into the air.

Marco rushed forward, his sword pointed for his opponent, they too rushing forward.

CINDER CONFETTI!

Eyes widening, the flaming petals froze in midair before hundreds came pelting, Marco was in silent awe as it was masterfully torn to shreds but he laser focused and came sweeping low, dodging the slash for his neck and coming up as the victor. His tarnished blade pointed at his vulnerable foe,

"Well, done, Dark Knight…you're making look bad in front of my wife."  
"Lay off the corn bread, then maybe your student wouldn't whip you so bad."

Buttercup rolled his eyes as Marco, Honeysuckle and Oblivion Pendragon burst out laughing, Marco helped up the Lizard, "Y'all suck, you know that."

They just grinned.

"Well, if I used Frost Edge properly…ah well, would be pointless either way."  
"You could have used Flame Brand then it wouldn't be an issue."

The Lizard shrugged, "Heh, me all hot-blooded with my lovely wife close by? Yeah, I mean Honeysuckle wont complain but then I wouldn't be able to teach you."

Marco shook his head, his teachers extremely happy to see him again and also harp on him coming out of _retirement_. He told them of the appearance of Darcy and they pulled books to show him of monster comparable to her, both from their investigation and Marco's testimony and it just looked bad from both standpoint. Among sharing different tidbits of information such as Mewni's time disruption and him disappearing for a time.

"In the past a monster such as Darcy would be a godsend for us Monster however, she's entrenched with such monstrosity…she'd be detrimental to any cause unless mass chaos is the objective…"  
"Yeah…I noticed…she's unstable but she's smart enough to put Menwi in a death grip at a whim. And she's just getting stronger if your books are right."  
"You might have to bring your full might to bear. You had a full arsenal of Elementals and Concepts with Eclipsa, but you were holding back because you needed her alive, Darcy is a different story, you can rip her apart with the Traitor's Sword."

Marco frowned at the words,  
"I've heard from Eclipsa that some royals have been kidnapped…Hekapoo is prisoner."  
"…ah, so you can't march upon her then?"  
"Cowardly to steal a man's woman."  
"All honesty, I would do the routine shake down and find where she's hiding and end her. Then leave. In that order. But things have been complicated because of hostages. She's crippled any help from the kingdoms because of that."

Buttercup, Honeysuckle and Oblivion looked crestfallen.

"Marco you have the powers of the Elementals and Concepts. That's literally checkmate. This farce shouldn't stand more than a day."  
"Can't use the Concepts. They choose when they want to help, I can't _force_ them. The times I used their powers…was to entertain them, my futile struggles in my short life is like a blink of an eye to them."

/Certainly is./  
/Our sisters are a little more…attached though, lean on them, rely on them./

"Well." Oblivion grunted, "Fat load of help you are."  
/Oh cork it, Pendragon. Don't make me bring you back to life just so I can choke it out you again. Then you know…do it a thousand more times./

"…you guys are awfully unhelpful. Like more than usual." Marco deadpan.  
The Concepts shrugged, the Elementals have been chilling out in the grove during the fight, except Automata who went to fetch all of Gnome's Stone Coffins that Marco had prior left behind in case he needed his weapons, gear and ammunition.

"Your spat aside, do you think I can take Darcy out?" "Without a doubt."  
"With minimal causalities and collateral damages?" "Heck no, lad!" /Yeah, you're tearing shit up in this puny dimension. I'd say you kill half of the dimension before you're done./

Marco rolled his eyes, he laid out his weapons and plan for his teachers hoping they could give him some insight, "Darcy said she's my clone meaning that what I think will be something she can counter, so I need eyes beyond my own to counter her." "She's got a year head start on you plus fighting in a dimension that doesn't like you too much and the current government is in shambles so you're not recruiting any strong braves for an assault."

"Basically it's just me or a very small elite party." "Your Warband."  
"I could bring them here, they'll be more of a match against Darcy's mooks." "Your fan base here, though."

Marco's face darkens, "No. They are just a bunch of kids, this is going to be a bloody conflict with a monster that brought a dimension to its knees…I've killed those before…"

"So…what's the plan?"  
Marco exhaled,  
"I'm going to make some diplomatic visits. I need information on this crisis. Accurate information. Eclipsa said that Butterfly and Johansen are relatively okay. Cloud, Spiderbite, Kelpbottom and Jagged Mountain had themselves a Civil War. Lucitor apparently got frost nuked and Pigeon suddenly went dark and quite literally batshit crazy. I can surmise which Darcy had a personal hand in it but to what extent? That needs investigation...and then there's her...when it deals with her though at best its rumors..."  
"Sorry lad, we've confined ourselves to the Grove to keep out of trouble and out of her reach."

Marco chuckled darkly, looking at the sky for a moment.  
"Good thing there's only one of her."

"...Darcy aside for a moment; I've felt something quite off about you, lad."  
"...there's been an underlying resentment in your tone and your stance too."  
"...it's just the Mewni air." Marco sighed, his eyes darkening, "I just can't shake it off sometimes."  
"...meeting that dragon...tis a blessing and a curse; it led you to StudMuffin, your Warband, the Elementals, the Concepts and everything else...but at such a cost."  
"Is it really that bad?"  
"Lad, your eyes make you look like a bootleg Dracula, it's like you weren't even trying to look threatening."  
"Darling, I can give you eye shadow tips."  
"...fuck y'all." Marco sighed, despite their laughter, he knew they were trying to make light of such a dangerous thing he had done to himself...

* * *

Darcy looked up.  
She sniffed deeply before she grinned to herself.

Darcy looked over to Liquid Lizard.  
"Marco is already on Mewni…it's time for a showdown with yours truly~"

She glanced over her shoulder and a shark of a grin spread across her red lips, as she eyed something in particular,  
"Oh what fun we will have, Marco~"

* * *

 **[The Hand of Star]**

The Dark Knight bid his teachers farewell, slashing a portal out of the grove and found himself on a prairie far enough to be unseen from his teacher's abode. He marched openly to the distant Butterfly Castle, decked out in full gear, even at a distance the lone imposing figure got the guard details to stir and sound an alarm. Marco ignored the hubbub and continued, whether or not the royals made it public he was back on Mewni it mattered little, Darcy was imbedded in some shape or form in the kingdoms.

An ambush on her would just be wishful thinking.

He continued to march until he was at the walls, he looked up, his hood obscuring some of his face but the knights recognized him either way. And what any guard detail would.

"HALT! STATE YOUR NAME AND BUSINESS!"  
"Dark Knight of Mewni, Marco Diaz. OPEN THIS DAMN GATE."  
"Y-yes, sir, right away—hey, wait no."

Marco scoffed before he felt sand collect underneath his boots and he was lifted off the ground and over the wall, he ignored the slack jaw guards before he landed on the other side and kept walking, his stride confident.

The townsfolk gasped and hid in their homes, others just stood there, Marco didn't stop to greet any of them, he gave them cursory glances seeing their state and welfare and it didn't look at all promising.

They were a wreck.  
They always been but this was an all time low.

Marco felt a savage satisfaction bubble in him at the sight, he dutifully squashed it after a minute or so especially when the castle began to lord over him. He could hear an excited whisper and murmur building, he saw a flash of red in an alley but kept moving, the awe would soon wear off and then the knights would start pouring in to stop him.

If there any knights left anyways.

He picked up the pace but the Elementals made their thoughts known.  
Loudly.

 _Marco, why don't you just open a portal and get in the damn castle already!  
"I needed to see the state of the kingdom."  
Okay. You have. Get there. Now.  
"Aw, but can't I just bask in memory lane just a wee bit longer~?"  
MARCO.  
"Fine."_

Marco unsheathes the Traitor's Sword and slashed open and rift and leapt through, landing in a very familiar throne room, Marco spun the sword around him before masterfully sheathing once again. His entrance was greeted to the sight of paled-face staring Mewmans, he coughed loudly and the knights aimed their halberds, spears and swords at him a second later, he nodded appreciatively.

"Good, good. That's the sort of greeting I am well-accustom to; _I just love that about Mewni_." Marco drawled as the royals stood up at the sight of him.

Star stared trembling.  
River blinked almost owlishly.  
Moon blinked rapidly before she painfully step down towards him, Marco straighten up and bowed to the royal,

"Greetings Queen Butterfly. You're looking...sickly."  
"…why have you come back, Marco?"

Marco straighten up and threw his hood back, his hair combed neatly to the side, exposing his scar prominently.

"You could say…Mewni invited itself back into my life." Marco said curtly, "I've heard from a despicable creature that it had plunged Mewni into chaos and responsible for crippling the lot of you from stopping it."

"!"  
"H-how?"  
"…you knew?"

Marco narrowed his eyes at the words, "Forgive me for not dropping everything and coming here immediately. You may not know this but this dimension did go through a temporal time disruption. I don't know what caused it, but apparently it has passed."  
"How would you know?"  
"My teachers told me as much. And confirmed by an authority on the subject." _/Hear hear! Oops, forgot they can't hear me!/_

The queen caution to ask,  
"Marco…who told you what became of us?"  
"Darcy the Scourge of Mewni impersonated Hekapoo and tried to kill me back in Echo Creek."

The three gasped, the knights shook at the name.  
The Queen looked at Marco expectantly, he knew the follow-up, he stated evenly,

"No. She is not dead. We battled and put many lives in danger. She fled before I could stab her black twisted heart with my sword. So I have to ask: are you all fucking mental or something? THAT _THING_ SAID IT WAS A CLONE OF ME. WHO THE FUCK MADE A CLONE OF ME. WHO WOULD BE SO FOOLISH TO DO SUCH A THING AND LET IT RUN AMOK."

The monarchy looked as if someone had dropped the temperature of the entire room to absolute zero.

"I-it's…a clone of you?" Moon whispered, Marco narrowed his eyes, "Safe to assume you didn't make Darcy. So: who did it."

Moon stumble back but Marco caught her arm and guided her to a chair, River and Star quickly joined her, looking at Marco and Moon frantically.

"How do you know it was a clone of you, Marco?"  
"It told me as much when we fought…it's gone completely insane…there's no reasoning with it anymore. It's a monstrosity of Mewman, Monster and whatever else she has absorbed into herself, she will devour anyone and everyone…and I know she will not stop even at that."

Moon looked ready to faint, Marco glanced at the knights and ordered to leave.  
They resisted but before Marco could order them again, Moon loudly told them to leave.  
The clangs of metal boots soon left and Marco, River, Moon and Star were left alone.

"Marco…you couldn't beat her?" River said nearly inaudible, the Dark Knight gave him a look. Star and Moon braced themselves for biting words but Marco slowly looked away from him and walked off, folding his arms and showing them nothing but his back.

He didn't say anything for a hot minute.

"…Marco?"  
"Marco, what wrong?"  
"..."

The Dark Knight inhaled and exhaled loudly and said mockingly cold and slowly, "…I don't know why I keep entertaining these problems that are clearly not mine; I can't seem to stay on my damn lane." He drew his sword and a tremble ran down the spine of the sword, it grew teeth and drooled on the floor.

"I know Darcy is hiding on Mewni…the simplest solution…the absolution to this Scourge…is to wipe the Mewni dimension from existence. Then all the troubles and misery this blasted place has cause will cease to exist."

Star, Moon and River felt their hearts seize at the absolute loathing in the Dark Knight's voice, the way the sword seemingly began to chatter and fountain drool, as if sharing the savage delight of destroying the dimension.

With a fabled sword such as the Traitor's Sword.  
It was no idle threat.

Star ran forward, ready to embrace the Dark Knight, reach out to his  
Marco faced the princess and Star felt her paltry thought of soothing the tumultuous heart of her best friend shatter into pieces.

His eyes bored into her baby blue eyes.  
Except…there wasn't any.  
None of the soft brown eyes she would fall into.

It was pitch-black sclera, mired by a poisonous green, Star realized it was his iris, she stared at it and felt a sickening hollow flooding her. For the first time—no…in a long time did Star become aware of Marco's potential, his inner strength he always had but bogged down by his low self-esteem and kind nature. She knew that Marco always had it, but easily overlooked due to his indecisiveness and worrying…and because of that, Star was never afraid to look to him for support and comfort in her life.

He was like embracing sunlight.

Star shrunk at the terrible visage before her…this wasn't the Marco who fled Mewni…this wasn't the Marco who tried in vain to reason with them, no…this Marco had no quarrel, no hesitation…no warmth.

This wasn't Marco Diaz…her best friend.

"Marco…you're scaring me…"  
 **"Oh? Am I?"**

Star stared frighten as Marco let the sword drag behind him as he lumbered forward, his eyes positively glowing, Moon and River rushed forward and stood between him and their daughter, but even then they cowered at Darken Knight as he thundered,

 **"** **Do you think I want to? Lo and behold the monsters you've created: Mewni is damn well good at that."**

The three royals looked ready to bolt instead of fight, an enraged Dark Knight of Marco's caliber wasn't a fight they were going to win. For a moment, the three thought if Marco did indeed killed Darcy: did they trade their troubles for something worse.

"W-what do you think you're doing?"  
"Marco?!" Moon said warningly.

Marco grunted and grabbed his face with his free hand, his eyes wide through the gaps of his fingers.

 _"_ _NO."  
_ _ **"You keep saying that. I'm getting closer. Every time. You push me back with all your might. Yet your darkness keeps calling me back. Stronger than the last. I WILL NOT BE DENIED."**_

Marco looked at his mindscape, there was just another Marco looking at him; not Ocram, not Warco. Just another Marco staring him down, he knew with every fiber of his being that it was anything but that.

This Marco…without a doubt: a true Fallen Dark Knight.

"You will never—" **_"Yes, that overused pledge of yours. Pathetic. This conflict_** ** _will_** ** _break you. And I shall have satisfaction."_**

Marco pulled his hand away from his face, he saw the royals pale faces before he wiped his brow and flicked it to the floor. The Elementals and Concepts were completely in the dark about his mental battles with the Fell that tempted him to embrace the dark gift of the Fell Dragon.

"Darcy will die. If something like this ever happens again…you will stand testament to what happens next."

Marco said gravely at their terrified face before he turn and walked out of the room, he didn't know where he was going but he didn't care. Anywhere but the throne room; he took to a route he knew and he descended through the castle, avoiding the castle staff and the sparse knights guarding the place before he came to the Wash. He knocked hard on the door, waiting for a moment before the door opened revealing Sir Lavabo, the knight blinked before hugging the Dark Knight.

"Marco! My boy, when did you get back?"  
"Just now, Sir Lavabo."

The two grinned at each other before the older knight's smile faded and looked at him more critically, seeing the gear he had and the sword he was known for now. The knight, gave a sigh and led him deeper into his Wash station,

"Marco…did the royals…?"  
"No. They didn't come to me begging, although it might have been a better alternative. Darcy tried to kill me back on Earth, now I'm hunting down Darcy to get rid of her. I am quite literally bailing out Mewni out of their mess and for free I might add."  
"…you don't want us to fall into ruin, lad."  
"Oh no, don't get me wrong: I don't care for Mewni. But if I let Darcy live she's going to just come right back to me. If all else, Darcy dies just on principle alone for what she had done to me."

Sir Lavabo found his favorite chair and sat on it, he looked at Marco who looked indifferent about his words, the older knight shook his head sadly, "No matter how you go about it Marco, its exactly as you say. Are you angry about it?" "Yeah. I am." "Did you want to come back to Mewni? Especially after your oath?" "No." "Really, Marco?"

Marco blinked, not understanding.  
Sir Lavabo leaned forward and looked meaningfully at him.

It dawned on Marco what Sir Lavabo was getting at and he exhaled, the older knight gave him knowing smile, "Even though I'm here? And young Higgs? How about your teacher? Do you really mean what you said."

"OF COURSE I DO." Marco said harshly.  
He regretted it a second later, Sir Lavabo wasn't fazed at the response, he looked at Marco quietly.

"I know you mean your words, Marco: Mewni has done a lot of awful things to you…but you can't say it didn't do many good either. I accepted you, Higgs respects you, your teacher sees your worth, Princess Star…after all you had done together, can you really hate her?"

Marco's eyes darken, Sir Lavabo flinched, he deflated and leaned against the wall; he looked extremely tired his scar looking even deeper, "I'm going to my room, Sir Lavabo."

He didn't wait for a reply and left, dragging his sword behind him.

"You better sheathe that sword! Scratching my floor, the nerve!"  
"Sorry! Sorry…"

Marco hastily put the sword away before calling upon Dunes and fixed the damage to the flooring.

"Come back here later, Marco, when you're in a better mood to talk…I know you're upset being back here…doing something especially dangerous, interrupting your life back home, but know Marco that I'm grateful you're here, no matter how much you despise it."

Marco stopped at the door.  
His hand on the doorknob.

"You shouldn't have to see me like this, Sir Lavabo…"  
"…I was there when you fell Marco, from your Princess's grace and picked up yourself as a true knight. You've seen me at my worst as well, don't be afraid or embarrassed to keep a strong face around me; know that I am knight but also your mentor and friend. Never forget that."

Marco said nothing and left.  
Wiping his cheeks as he ascended up the castle.

.

He looked at his door and opened it, he was pleasantly surprised to see the room had been tidied up in his absence; there were a couple boxes that didn't belong to him. He peeked inside and saw and assortment of odds and ends but he left it be: no doubt the room was considered to be a storeroom.

He ran a hand on the wall, seeing no more graffiti and nicely painted, the furniture replaced and kept clean.

"Someone's been keeping with the upkeep."  
"I do it, Marco."

Marco felt the presence but chose to be oblivious; he was ready to fight at a moment's notice anyways. He pretended to be very interested with the room, studying the new layout, making his guest wait longer and longer.

Letting her fidget.

Marco laid the sword on the desk and finally looked at his guest, she looked at him then glanced to her feet, not quite meeting his eyes.

"How are you, Higgs?"  
"Fine. Great actually. Outstanding!" she said confidently, the knight smiled her hair still short but more pixie cut than before, a flair of femininity to it now.

Marco smiled at her and she fiddled with her orange locks.  
"Well?"  
"…I'm sorry!" she blurted, she blushed and looked at her sword, "I lost your sword to that Fiend and she just went and killed a bunch of Mewmans and Monsters with it! I fought as hard as I could, but she overwhelmed me—!"  
"It's fine, I got it back when she tried to ambush me on Earth. I'm glad you're alright." Marco said kindly.

Higgs blinked.  
She blinked rapidly before she bashfully looked away.  
"S-sorry."  
"It's fine. Really. Higgs what can you tell me about her?"  
"…ah, um, okay."

Higgs looked a little put off, Marco smiled apologetically, "Afterwards, you can tell me how you've been. It's not all business for me." Marco lied, but Higgs perked up at his interest in her, she adopted a cool looking demeanor and retold her battle with the dastardly Fiend.

Marco listened intently.  
Most of it he already knew, but with Higg's experience he could solidify what he knew about this Darcy. A formidable swordsman, someone with considerable social or political sway and apparently some bastardization of himself mixed with all sorts of nasty, one of which is commandeering abilities from other species.

"You really held your own, Higgs."  
"…I wish I did better."  
"You came out alive, from what I heard, you did what most could not."

Higgs blushed.  
Tired of standing, Marco and Higgs sat on the bed and continued to talk, the focus on Higgs more than an unpleasant one of Darcy. Higgs boast of all of her feats since Marco's year long absence, some she was quite pleased with others not so much, the mention of Mewmans in red hoods caught his attention immediately.

"Where did you see them?"  
"…once in the kingdom, the other time when I was out in the field. Do you know them?"  
"…yeah, I kinda do."  
"I bet they're a bunch of nerds."  
"Hey." "Geez, it's a joke."

Higgs tried to make light of it but she could see how serious he was about it,  
"Are you worried about them?"  
"Yeah, from what you told me they are heading for nothing but trouble with their antics."

He sighed and flop back, staring at the ceiling thinking what to do next, Higgs looked over his ensemble, admiring the craftsmanship. He grunted causing her to look away, he chuckled before he sat back up ready to find his 'fan base' and finally set them straight about their agenda.

He felt his cellphone buzz and he fished it out of his jean, "Diaz speaking. Oh, hey, Kelly, yeah I'm at Mewni already, sorry I was catching up with my teachers. Yeah, I'll see you there, let me get you."

Marco walked over to his sword and slashed two portals both pointed to each other so Kelly simply leapt through into Eclipsa's castle. Marco closed them while Higgs giving him a quizzical look, he shrugged,

"Don't want me to see your _girlfriend_?" she quipped.  
"Then I better hide you then!" Marco laughed, but Higgs turned scarlet.

"Ah. No, sorry, that was un-called for." "…maybe you should." Higgs whispered.  
"I'm sorry what?" "N-nothing!"

Marco blinked before nodding, he headed for the door with a red face Higgs right behind him before it swung open revealing Star. Marco stopped dead in his tracks as the princess opened her mouth to speak up, her face alight but then abruptly fell seeing Higgs right behind him, the knight quickly curtsey to the princess.

"Ah. Princess Star."  
"Princess Star."  
"…hello, Lady Higgs. Marco, are you alright?"  
"Yeah, I'm fine."

Star leaned closer, her blue eyes looking at his brown ones, "Your eyes…" "Hmm? What about them?"

Higgs's eyes swivel between the two, feeling out of place.  
And it annoyed her.

"As you can see my eyes are indeed fine, I shall take my leave."  
"Please, Marco, don't ru—don't leave."  
"…what more do you need of me, Princess Star."  
"Marco! Marco, please." Star cried, tears welling up, Marco's hand twitched, the princess didn't notice but Higgs did.

 _If I acted like some damsel…no. NO. I am anything but that!_

Higgs couldn't help but feel all sorts of terrible.

Marco looked at the distressed princess for a moment, it wasn't obvious but Marco could tell that Star had grown up a bit, "…you're older now, aren't you, Star?" "…I turned 18 while you were gone, Marco." "Ah, well, you don't look a day older." "...Marco, that's some weak sauce compliments you're handing."

The two glanced back to see Higgs with her arms folded.  
A scowl on her face.  
Marco blinked before he shook his head, "Well, I'm off."

He pulled out his sword and cut open a rift, he took a step forward before unsurprisingly he felt someone pushing him and going through the rift as well, he controlled his sigh as he stood upon a meadow just outside of Butterfly Kingdom.

"Alright, what are you doing here."  
"Guess, you nerd."  
"…I don't know."

Marco tried his hardest not to roll his eyes, "I need to talk to some kingdoms about the situation maybe even just some regular folk; gather some real intel. See what's on bounty boards and the underground."  
"…did you do those kinds of things on your own?"  
"Sorta kinda. I had to learn to survive and work as a mercenary and as a knight too in the Multiverse, I did a lot of things." Marco said off-handedly, the two stared at him as he walked off in no direction in particular, the two quickly followed.

"What, what else did you do?"  
"I was a merc, a bounty hunter too, a lot of things. Name it I was probably that."  
"A nerd."  
"Rude!" "Low blow, but yeah."  
"Heh, I can respect that."

Marco continued to walk on the path, he looked around, studying the sky, the terrain, the tracks that stumble across the trail and the like. Higgs understood the things he did, Star was more or less lost on it, but she seemed to know what it meant especially when he patted his sword and glance to them.

"Mewman raiders. They probably have a camp around here. Ambushed someone some time ago."  
"I was going to warn you about that Marco."  
"You both knew?!"  
"Wow, Higgs that's impressive. How many?"  
"Five."  
"Wrong. A dozen. They stepped on each other's tracks."  
"So what the heck Marco, are you walking into an ambush? Are you still good in a fight?"  
"I'm too good in a fight…with this many, it stands to reason one of them will still be alive to be questioned."

Higgs nodded understanding while Star reluctantly nodded, a numbing sensation spreading to her fingers as she squeezed her wand.  
Marco said it like he was doing some mundane chore, however the two were aware what it meant: there would be blood.

"You're more than welcome to go back to the castle. I know you're uneasy about what I'm going to do."  
"W-what?" Star paled, "What are you gonna do?" she knew but hoped it didn't entail it.  
"…what I do best: mercenary work. Look it's gonna get pretty bloody and violent. I'm not even gonna sugarcoat it: there will be corpses at the end of this."  
"…I mean, I am but I really want to see how good you are."  
"Morbid curiosity, you would get along with Janna."

The three continued to walk, Star looked around cautiously, while Marco and Higgs merely kept their eyes ahead, there were some jutting rocks and outcrops ahead.

"Fall back, last chance."  
"I can hold my own in a fight." Star did her best not to stutter, trying to mask her unease.  
"I've fought plenty, Marco."  
"Suit yourself."

Marco unsheathed his sword and walked into the ambush, Higgs drew her sword and Star thrust out her wand.

"Come on out, ya bastards, let's have some blood!" Marco echoed his words off a nearby rock, immediately rocks tumbled from above.

RAZOR LETTUCE WHIRLWIND!

Star cried out as the magical leaves came whizzing out and taking care of the rocks, two Mewmans swung out of rocks and shot their cross bolts at them, Higgs ducked and Marco threw his sword splitting the other before Warping to the thrown sword.

The Mewmans stared wide eye before he threw out his hand, electricity crackling around his fingertips,

LIGHTNING LANCE!

The lucky Mewmans rolled away leaving three roasted before Marco spun and threw the sword and Warped to another point immediately tackling a raider into the rocks. Higgs and Star stood back to back as the raiders came at them, holding makeshift weapons and rocks,

"Lookie here!"  
"Put that sharp sword down lass, no one gets hurt!"

Higgs parried the swings, avoiding the rocks thrown at her before she swung and bat a rock right back at the sender, braining him. Star was rapid fire on her side, using non-lethal spells, her mind still reeling when she killed that Mewman,

SUPER BOUNCY BEACHBALLS!

She shot the spell against the rocks, getting fast at each ricochet and knocking the raiders down on their asses, but that only made them angry and came at her all madden. Marco fly kicked a raider from the outcrop and glanced down, he yelled as he threw his sword and it tore through a Mewman,

"Star what are you doing?!"  
"Marco, they're just—!" "NO, THEY ARE NOT!"

He drew up Yuki and slammed his palms on the rocks,

WINTER SPINE!

The temperature dropped just as the ground was soon covered in powder snow before bursting with ice spikes. Higgs slid under a Mewman using the ice and let the sword cut into their inner thigh, Star's eyes widen as one of the rogues dangerously skid side to side before he dived at her with a knife.

"STAR!"

The princess stared at the rogue, his knife plunging forward but she only held the wand close to her chest, terrified, flashbacks of that Mewman staring at her, lifeless.

A shadow fell upon her and she shut her eyes, ready for the sharpness of the blade, but instead she felt something warm pressing against her. The princess looked up to see Marco in between her and the rogue, his hand around his throat as the blade was lodged into his side, the princess cried,

"MARCO!"  
"Not now, Star!" Marco grunted, Higgs looked around quickly seeing either dead rogues or those who had fled before she waved to Marco.

The Dark Knight stared down the rogue before his feeble resistance mellow away at the icy visage, he stared bug eyed at the sight,  
"Y-yer that git!"  
"Oh ho, so you know who I am." Marco drawled, his grip tighten and the Mewman flailed, "Where is Darcy."

The blue faced Mewman snarled at the name,  
"Dunno who da is, ya git!"  
"Then you are no use to me." Marco said simply, his face devoid of emotion, his eyes darkening and revealing the Fell within him.

The Mewman shrieked at the sight,  
"MONSTER!"  
 **"WORSE."**

"No one! No one knows! He just vanished! Gone! GONE! After e'eryone ran out da forest we been raidin' 'nd lootin'!" the Mewman quickly pleaded.

The answer didn't please Marco. At all.  
The urge to tighten his fingers became so unbearable, it would be so easy to just

"...m"  
"...M"

"MARCO!"

Marco flinched and dropped the Mewman, who scuttled on the ground for a moment before he went running, crying and hollering the entire time.

He looked to see Higgs and Star holding onto his arms, he blinked seeing their scared and tear stained faces.

"…your eyes."  
"I wasn't imagining it…Marco what happened to you? Why are your eyes dark and green?" Star's eyes welled with tears, Marco exhaled heavily and looked off to the side, "Marco please!"  
"Don't worry—"  
"I AM WORRIED! MARCO DON'T PUSH ME AWAY!"  
"...it's funny...that's how I felt too, y'know."

Marco's handsome face was disfigured by the arrogant smirk on his face, as if it was a long time coming.

"…I'm sending you both back to Butterfly Kingdom." He said in an afterthought, his sword zipping to him.  
"Marco!?"  
"This isn't a discussion. I can't do this grisly work with Star constantly harping me."  
"Then why me too?!"

Marco cut open a portal even as Star pleaded with him, he looked at Higgs, "Because I need someone to make sure Star doesn't try to find me whilst I work." "And why should I do as you say then nerd!"

Marco sighed, he shook his head sadly and looked at her, his eyes back to normal much to Higgs and Stars' relief, "Because I know you will." "...I won't."

Marco held her hand for a moment before he knelt shocking the two females, "Please Higgs, this is a favor between a knight and a knight."

Higgs found the gesture quite pleasant; in a bid to seem resistant and to keep the intimate contact she kept a sour face.  
Marco looked up at her, his eyes locked on hers…and only her…

"Higgs~?"  
"...oh...oh fine! Geez, Marco…" Higgs managed to say, shaken out of her stupor and scarlet face.

Star stared at the two before she was shaken out of her stupor and argued to stay by Marco's side, the Dark Knight ignored it before he pointed at the portal, it led back to the throne room.

"I won't go. And you shouldn't be doing this kind of—"  
"The chance to do it your way has already passed." Marco replied flatly, he held her hand and casually pulled her to the portal, the princess tried to come up with some excuse, any to fight back.

But there was such a warmth from his mere touch that put her at ease, like a moth mesmerized by a faraway glow she followed. Marco got her on the other side of the portal as she smiled all the while however with a glaze stare Marco was slightly concerned. Higgs hopped across and looked at him,

"Be careful out there, Marco...it's treacherous."  
"I know, Darcy is out there as who ever she wants..."  
"...yeah."

Marco could see how concern she was over that fact, he looked at her hip seeing the plain sword, it looked well used and he frowned, he called out for his sword,

"FROSTFLAME!"

Higgs and Star's head flicked at the sudden yell, Star stared at the portal entrance and the place she was, "Marco!"

He caught the flying sword in time and tossed it to Higgs who caught it,  
"Keep her safe, Higgs! And don't lose that again!"  
"Marco?!"  
"MARCO!"

He gave the both of them a small smile, an apologetic one as the portal closed leaving them safe in the castle.

"…Marco, please be safe."  
"Oh, baby I missed you, mama Higgs will keep you safe." Higgs hugged the sword, humming happily before she realized Star was staring at her.

She coughed and held the sword more properly and adopting a more knightly composure.

.

Marco sighed and thought over the options of the places to gather more information on Darcy, "I need to see the condition of the kingdoms for myself...there are too many gaps I can't leave unfilled."

He slashed a portal and hopped through.  
He was going to hate what he was about to do...but he'd rather do it first and done with it.

 **[Student of the Last Pendragon]**

Jagged Mountain Kingdom.

It was a wreck.  
Plain and simple.

The high walls were littered with craters, projectiles, charring and blood, an odd ladder further away, the Dark Knight lifted himself with sand and swept over the battlements, the guards gave yells of surprise but he waved them off.

"Take me to your rulers, it's urgent."  
"R-right away!"

Marco pointed at the sand cloud and the guard nervously hopped on it and he directed him to the castle, it looked lovely in its prime now it was lost it with the caved in sections and makeshift patching.

He landed on the courtyard and send the guard back as the castle guards aimed their halberds at him but he ignored them as he walked past them even as they commanded him to halt.

"Take me to your King and Queen or get out of my way."  
"There's...no need to speak so harshly...Dark Knight."

Marco's eyes soften as two shadows shamble forward, the royals looked upon him with eyes of amazement and sadness,

"Welcome Dark Knight...to our home."  
"...Darcy did this."  
"Nay...Nefon did, or is that her name too? Bah it matters not...she played all of Mewni quite well..."

Marco looked at the ruler he gestured for the knights to leave but they were stubborn, the King made a gesture, "Please Sir Marco, they wont leave...our daughter was abducted and they all feel guilty of it...don't let them give up any more honor they have left."  
"...I'm sorry to hear that."  
"Mhmmm...would you like something to drink?"

Marco stared at the ruler for a moment, there were a tiredness to them, a hollow shadow he had seen so many times before.

Whatever savage delight he thought he would have seeing Mewni suffer...faded a little.

"Your home is in ruins, your daughter captured and your people in despair...and I am most likely the cause of it all, yet you treat me as if I was an honored guest."  
"...no matter what has happened, to our kingdom or personally...can we really blame you, Dark Knight?"  
"You can." Marco said firmly.

The rulers sadly shook their head,  
"It would solve nothing. Why shift the blame when we are at fault for our plight? That meeting showed us your worth and valor, without question you defended Mewni with your life; you may have done it to defend your friends here but you also defended those ungrateful and your enemies. Mewni doesn't deserve a Dark Knight like yourself."

Marco frowned.  
"You may feel that way but look all around you: Darcy got you and others to battle each other to bloody ribbons."  
"...yes...she did..."

Marco stared at the rulers, they were beaten down to the ground.  
He folded his arms ready to lay the truth bare, even if it meant that they would hate him even more…

"Darcy...this 'Nefon'...she's a clone of me...the Scrouge of Mewni...the Fiend...she's made from my flesh. I might as well have done it."

The knights trembled at the words.  
The rulers however weren't even fazed, in fact they looked relieved.

"Then she truly is the consequence for Mewni then."  
"Why are you—"  
"Dark Knight do you believe we deserve Nefon?"  
"Yes, you do." Marco said without hesitation, he felt the cold looks from the knights, "But be as it may...the innocent should be spared of the foolishness of their rulers; but that hardly is the case."

Marco took a good look around the castle, he spied a massive slam of a fallen wall and called out to Automata, the Elemental was...intrigued at his suggestion and he walked over and touched it. The slab was instantly turned into a gilded treasure, the rulers blinked at the sight as did the knights, Marco turned to them,

"I know this is a poor consolation for your missing daughter...but use this to clean up the kingdom."  
"You are...most kind."  
"Don't use this to get smashed. There's enough depressed people around here."

 **[The Royal Butterfly Squire]**

Marco stepped into Cloud Kingdom, he stopped himself from hopping back through the portal seeing the cloud surface. He experimentally stepped on it before he was silently relieved he didn't just go right through and fall to his death.

Then he noticed Spiderbite Kingdom.  
Then the ocean.  
Being a tad too close.

"What. The. Fuck."  
"Language boy."

Marco spun and saw the massive Pony Head King coming down from his balcony, his daughters and Pony Head Princess not far behind. The sight of Marco caused all of them to immediately whip out their phones and furiously text, Pony Head stared before she came flying at him.

Marco sidestep and she zipped off the cloud, the king sighed,  
"That girl...hello, Dark Knight."  
"King Pony Head, I'd say good day but it seems far from it."  
"Indeed; there hasn't been one for a long time."

Marco and the king stared at each other.  
His daughters still taking pictures and texting, no doubt blowing up any social media site that was still operational.

"What happened. I was told you, Spiderbite, Jagged Mountain and Kelpbottom went each other's throats."  
"...yes, we did." The king said after a pause, he sighed heavily, "Nefon the Informant...some way, some how she got us to erupt into Civil War against each other. How could we be so blind..."  
"Nefon...is just one alias she's had. She's also known as Darcy the Scourge of Mewni and the Fiend."

The king said nothing and drifted closer to the cloud edge, Pony Head came zooming back and tried to bum-rush Marco again until her father glared at her, "Earth turd why are you even here?!" "...where's your horn." "Don't cha change the subject!"

Marco rolled his eyes and waved her off, the king snorted he gestured below,  
"Nefon...she brought my kingdom nearly crashing into the sea, nearly obliterating Kelpbottom."  
"...how did she bring your kingdom down."  
"I don't know, before she vanished she managed to talk the Jagged Mountain rulers to come to a meeting; there it was revealed that Jagged Mountain had a ballistae capable of attacking my kingdom...I foolishly blamed them, I should have known Nefon had set it up; somehow."  
"Why haven't you gone back into the sky?"  
"...fear that she would shoot us down once more, Nefon may have disappeared from the face of Mewni but I do not doubt for a second she's still out there watching us die slowly."  
"You can recover from this." Marco said neutrally, he wasn't trying to give any false hope, just stating facts, "Darcy humbled you, no reason you can't pick yourself up."

The king laughed, he shook his massive head, "I agree but with her waiting to knock us back down on our asses? I can manage that, no matter how many times she tries...but my people are a different story...we are a resilient people, but the she has shaken my people's spirit, nearly plummeting to our deaths has been a wake up call to many as well as myself. No doubt we _can_ and _will_ bounce back...but with Nefon freely roaming Mewni it is hard to soothe my people's fears. Hope is a fragile thing to have at the moment...I don't want it snatched by Nefon."

Marco saw some wisdoms at the words but nonetheless shook his head,  
"It shouldn't matter if Nefon can make your spirit falter: you are the ruler of this kingdom, that still means something to your family and subjects. Faith in yourself is pivotal right now; because if you can't even do that, then Nefon has achieved victory, all she needs to do is watch you roll over and she wouldn't even need to swing a sword to have it."  
"…" the king said nothing even as Marco walked off the cloud and sank into the ocean.

 **[The Runaway Knight]**

Marco swam back for air, coughing,  
"Fuck, I forgot Undine and Sylph can't help me! Idiot!"  
"That's quite alright, Dark Knight we can talk above the waves."

Marco turn to see the Kelpbottom rulers looking at him, their faces stripped of joy for many moons, he frowned as he swam for the shore the rulers following him, he could tell they weren't alone as many murky shadows followed closely.

"The Riptide Knights are never far behind."  
"Good then you're less likely caught off guard by Darcy."  
"...who?"  
"Nefon. Sorry, Nefon and Darcy are the same person."

Marco lit his sword aflame and waved it around him, hissing vapor rose around him as he dried off, the rulers looked at him patiently, he sighed and looked at them.

"Were you expecting me?"  
"Yes. For a long time in fact, the rings it..." "Are you disappointed or amused with our lot?"  
"Both actually. But hearing it was Darcy's doing doesn't make the folly less foolish. Darcy is a clone of my flesh, someone on Mewni had unleashed that Scrounge upon you."

The rulers paled.  
When they got a hold of themselves, they said gravely,  
"Somehow that doesn't so far fetched...her being your clone that is; the way she manipulated us, she's as cunning as you."  
"Yes, she nearly killed me too."

They looked at him alarmed, he shrugged,  
"She tried to kill me back home and I hate to say it you, I mean the guilty party, made one hell of a monster to contend with."  
"...Mewni have mercy."  
"...do you regret it?" Marco asked, the rulers looked at him, "You and Jagged Mountain sided with me and you bore the brunt of this calamity."  
"...no one could have imagined this would happen Dark Knight, we surely did this to ourselves all by the bidding and prodding of Nefon sure but instead of belief in one another it was war we waged." "So easy for her to topple us over...blind us to bicker and distrust one another."  
"To be fair y'all been doing that since I left." Marco started, they blinked, he shrugged unapologetically, "I'm not going to sugarcoat it: she played you, all of you."  
"You're quite blunt." "Indeed."

Marco frowned, "I oughta be since this catastrophe happened, and it falls upon me to clean it up."

The rulers smiled then bowed, Marco scoffed, "I'm not doing this for you; if Darcy isn't stopped she's just gonna come back to Echo Creek and cause all sorts of shit for me since she failed the last time. And to be honest: I'd rather wreck Mewni than Earth since I live there."

The rulers purse their lips at the declaration, knowing he meant it,  
"Be as it may, Dark Knight."  
"Good. Now, I want you tell me all you know about Darcy—Nefon, fuckin' whatever she called herself. Don't leave anything out—no matter how insignificant."

The rulers felt a slight chill at the order, the way Marco looked at them, a dreadful nauseating aura...the tone of a man on the hunt for a beast as vile as himself...

"A-as you w-wish, Dark Knight."

He held up a hand before they could start, he grabbed a handful of sand and gestured to the royals, they held out their hands before he poured the sand, using Dunes and Jewel he turned it into precious gemstones.

"This is for the damages you've sustained: now talk."

 **[The Demon of Echo Creek]**

Marco marched upon Spiderbite, he waved the guards aside and they dived for cover as crystal and sand exploded at his whim, his eyes blazed furiously.

"Something is foul in this damn place!"  
 _Damn Marco calm down! I can't get all this giddy~ in public!  
Yay! Destruction!_

Marco readied to slash open the gates but the creak of timber alerted him to it swinging open, the guards hauling ass so he didn't chop through it with the Traitor's Sword. He glared at them before he surged forward, he didn't bother looking over the kingdom he knew it was a mess, just like all the rest of the kingdoms...

He reached the castle after the mobs of citizens cleared a path for him and he kicked down the door, knights tried to halt his progress but one look from him and they cowered and fell back.

He roared across the hall,  
"SHOW YOURSELF SPIDERBITE ROYALS!"

Despite the yell, he marched himself down to the throne room scattering everyone he came across. He knew three of the eight kingdoms of Mewni disliked him, maybe enough to do something extremely foolish, but out of the three only Spiderbite was the closest to his vicinity. He would have to question River or rather some royal from Johansen Clan and visit the Lucitors at a later time.

Marco came upon the door and slammed his concussive gauntlets, forgetting for a moment what would happen: a destroyed door.

Marco walked through the door, he looked at a sheet white Page,  
"Put that on my tab."

The Dark Knight turned his attention to the Queen and King of Spiderbite, only to see the Queen on the throne, swishing a goblet in one hand, "...ah. Another one...Page fetch me another goblet." She let the goblet clang on the floor and the wine seeping into the carpet.

Marco frowned and walked up to her, the knights watched him but made no attempts to stop him, he narrowed his eyes and stood in front of the queen,  
"...you're a mess, where's your royal bearing." He snarled.  
"Gone." She mumbled, "It's all gone..."  
"What's gone."  
"...everything."  
"Bullshit. What have you done."

The queen tried to evade his gaze but he adamantly stood there until she finally peered upwards, seeing his stony face,

"Ah. Sir Marco Diaz...how do you do?"

He grabbed her front and lifted her off the throne, the knights started at him but she waved them off, "Leave us. Leave. Take the day off." "...yes, Your Majesty."

They abruptly turn without another word.  
Marco looked at them questioningly; they didn't even fought back at the order especially after all the other royals he ran into today.

"I'm going to ask again: what have you done."  
"...I've laid waste to Mewni."  
"..." Marco paused at the words, he looked at her, his eyes searching, before it fell on her eyes, the same blue eyes of Darcy.

"...you," Marco could hardly hold himself back, shaking from head to toe, "…YOU. YOU MADE DARCY. DIDN'T YOU."

For the first time since they spoke did the Queen's eyes lit up.  
Not with life.  
But with terror.

It wasn't an accusation.  
From from it, but the look of panic cemented Marco's words.  
Marco's hand reached for his sword but the Queen's eyes welled up with tears and her palms clapped over her face.  
And bawled.

"…I—I did! I made her—she's a monster! Nothing—nothing I hoped!"  
"!" Marco's face lit up at the last word, "Do you…HAVE ANY IDEA WHAT YOU MADE!? Why?! What could be so—"  
"You!" she wept, "YOU were THAT important! Mewni—Mewni owes you far too much, too much to bear! And you turned your back on us...after we turned our backs on you...now she's done nothing but brought misery to Mewni...wrecking havoc no matter where she trends...how could something so despicable come from someone so powerful...it doesn't make sense..."  
"How. HOW DID YOU MAKE HER." Marco thundered, the Queen cowered.  
"B-Blood Pit. Underneath the castle."  
"Bring me to it."  
"It's...it's gone. Darcy came back and destroyed it."  
"..." Marco glared at her and pulled the sword a wee bit out of the sheathe making sure she was being honest, "Did she only do that?"

The Queen saw lightning arcing, she opened and closed her mouth repeatedly like a fish out of water before she blub for the Dark Knight,

"She came back and stole the third masterpiece I made; then she destroyed the Blood Pit!"  
"YOU MADE THREE!?" Marco roared, "ONE WAS BAD ENOUGH!"  
"She killed the second one! She fled and I...I made another clone from the remains. She came back and stole it and destroyed the entire place...I can never make anymore..."

Marco looked at the Queen, sickened.  
He felt the Fell react, his eyes darkening at every twisted thought worming into his skull, he could fell her right here, right now...no one would know.

And one less blasted royal to deal with.

 **"** **Go on."**  
"!"

Marco steeled himself at the whisper, the temptation to obliterate the royal...  
As much as he desired her grisly end...he wasn't an authority to mete out justice...

 _Mewni faults shall be remedied by Mewni hands..._

Marco inhaled shakily.  
What the Queen had done...he had no words for it; the one thing that shouldn't have been done and she gone on and did it. It took all of his self control to utter the next scant lines, hoping to leave before he went nuclear,

"You'll be dealt with; I'll see to it that all of Mewni knows what you have done."

"!"

"No amount of running your gob will protect you." Marco said with finality.

The Queen stared at the towering Marco for a moment, trying to see if he would be merciful in the slightest but she saw naught of a shred of it. She slumped against her throne, looking every bit miserable as her subjects when he tore through the place,

"Please...she has my daughter...my husband worked himself till he was bed ridden...I—"  
 **"Save it."** Marco snarled, he turned his back on her and marched down the dais, hating himself by the second, **"You've yet to get what's coming to you."**

 **[Master of the Traitor's Sword]**

Marco looked at the frozen magma of the Underworld for a moment before he looked back to see Prince Tom Lucitor, he looked paler than usual especially after Marco forced him to retell the tale of Nefon/Darcy wrecking the Underworld.

He was greeted to demons bellowing at him, even some hotshot descendant of a Hell Knight, to which it was greeted to the bottom of his boot and sent packing. Marco drew his sword and with a thundering boom caused the demons present to shriek as he brought it down into the ground.

"What the heck—MARCO!?"  
"TOM, GET DOWN HERE."  
"Tsk! What the—!"  
"OR I'M COMING UP THERE AND KICKING YOU OFF YOUR HIGH CHAIR. I AM IN NO MOOD TO PLAY THESE GAMES."

Tom in fact played these games.  
And for his troubles, he caught Marco's hands. And boots.

"Enough, Tom, I don't have time for your shit." Marco snarled.  
"I can do this all week!" Tom wiped his chin, only to have Marco deliver a stunning roundhouse kick to it and sent him sprawling on the ground.

The next time Tom woke up the Traitor's Sword was at his neck, his parents watching fearfully as several MagmaMen, courtesy of Golem, Elemental of Lava, kept them back.

"What underhand tricks you have, _Dark Knight_."  
"Run the spittle at me again and I might just finish what Darcy started." Marco said unnaturally calm.  
Everyone present felt an unnatural shiver run down their spines.

Marco offered a hand to Tom, who slapped it away and stood up, the two walked towards the edge of the kingdom plateau and gazed down at the cooled magma and Tom unravel the tale of Darcy invading and destroying the kingdom.

How she infiltrated the underbelly of the castle, stole weapons from there and carved her way out, taking on him, his subjects and guards and finally Hekapoo.

Tom so engross in his storytelling didn't see how Marco's hand twitch at the name and how she must have fought valiantly if Darcy was so willing to run for it afterwards.

For a long moment the two didn't say anything.  
Tom felt like a child explaining himself to Marco someone the same age as him [FYI: he doesn't know he's older now. Technically.], still it felt better than talking to demons that just agreed with his sentiments on the situation.

"...how long have you known we've been fucked."  
"...just recently, Darcy paid me a visit."  
"So...she's still alive."  
"Tom, what the heck do you think I did." Marco retorted irritated, "Oh, she showed up and I OHKO her?"  
"YES!"  
"You are thick in the head." Marco exhaled loudly, "She is not just some mindless idiot, she played all of Mewni, a low brow feat but she still managed to put you in a death grip. She trounces knights, warriors, and kingdoms apparently and even the MHC the stalwart guardians of the multi-dimensions. So don't come at me with this sass, Tom."

The prince looked even more hopeless at the words,  
"We're so dead."  
"And this 'we' shit; she's your problem."  
"Then why are you here?"  
Marco's face darken, "Because if I'm going to cause a ruckus, I'd rather trash your place than mine."  
"The fuck—really?"  
"Hey. You weren't in Echo Creek backing me up when I was fending her off: singlehandedly. Now sit your ass down, protect your citizens and subjects and try not to get in my way."  
"...hey wait!," Tom yelled at Marco who was leaving, "I ain't your bitch!"  
"Fine. But YOU are a BITCH."

 **[The Fallen Knight of Mewni]**

Marco spun and sliced through flesh, bone and sinew.  
He shot out lightning through his fingertips, dealing with a slew of raiding Monsters and Mewmans.

Prairie Style Elemental Combination : Grass Wildfire!

Marco spun low before corkscrewing upwards slicing through raiders at the same time Golem searing his blade and igniting the nearby grass making a sea of flames.

"RUN ITS—GYUK!"

Garden Style : Thorn Dance!

Marco leapt over a crowd of raiders and with unnerving accuracy dipped a quarter of the Traitor's Sword into their cranium before moving to the next and the next and landing with grace; his victims did not.

Forest Style : Ash Crash!

Marco gripped the Traitor's Sword with both hands and in overhead chops, broke apart anyone and anything in his way. The survivors seeing the absolute onslaught of one man, one Dark Knight was enough to get them scurrying for their lives, Marco raised his hand to blast them with Dunes, Automata and Yuki before he grimace and put his hand down.

"Damnit...this body still can't take it."  
 _"You're not your adult self, Marco, you can't just abuse your body like this."_  
"...funny," Marco slid his sword back and inspect his handiwork, "I have to be an adult to make a difference. This really isn't a shounen manga where I can just tryhard my way into victory."  
 _"Cute, but not the point."_

Marco looked at the kingdom walls to see the Johansen Berserkers and guards, they looked shaken up by the display, their arrows and cross bolts aimed at him.

"You're going to shoot me?"  
"...maybe."  
"Go ahead. I'll tear these walls apart afterwards."  
"What do you want?"  
"Like I said before I was interrupted by a damn mob: I need to speak to a royal."

The guards muttered with themselves before they sent a runner.  
"We wont let you in, but we'll do as you ask."  
"I didn't ask to be let in, I wanted to talk to someone." Marco deadpan.

Marco sighed when the guards pretended to not hear his logic and began to look busy.  
It took about 10 minutes before the royal showed up, the same one that he had dealt with in a year's past, he glared at him,

"What do you want."  
"...I want to know if Darcy or Nefon have come through your kingdom." Marco yelled up the wall, everyone there did a sign of warding, "If she did, I want to know where she went and how frequently."  
"Nefon...yes, she did come here but she refused to stay in the kingdom after talking to us, Johansen!"  
"I wonder why—"  
"SHADDUP!"  
"So where did she go?" Marco asked despite the tirade the royal tried to stir up.

The royal pointed South-West, "Some of our riders said she would go in that direction…they would lose sight of her after a time."  
"…what could be there?" Marco mumbled, he racked his brain for a moment but the royal broke it.

"The only thing there worth mentioning is the Pigeon Kingdom," the Johansen royal yelled, "But you can't get near it, the Pigeons have gone feral they attack anyone who gets close, Nefon—"  
"Unless she caused it," Marco yelled back, he glanced at the direction seeing dark shapes in the horizon, "Has anyone gone to Pigeon Kingdom? Tried to?"  
"Not as far as I know."

Marco frowned and faced the faraway kingdom,  
"Fine, I'll do it myself." he retorted fixing his concussive gauntlets.  
"Better you than me."

Marco rolled his eyes and moved forward, "Yeah, and that kind of thinking got you in this predicament in the first place."

He slashed himself a portal and fell through.

 **[Mewni's Strongest Dark Knight]**

Marco landed outside the castle, he immediately rolled away as a pigeon flock tried to scoop him up.

"BUZZ OFF!" Marco roared as sand exploded underneath him and obscured him from view, still the pigeons tried to muscle through it. The merc ran for cover and after a bit all the pigeons scattered and tried to find him, a minute rolled by before they flew away without a prize.

Marco narrowed his eyes.  
"They've gone savage...what could Darcy done to them...are they under a spell?" he observed them, watching them but as far as he could tell they were fine…on the outside.

Marco watched them at the rafters then he glanced down and held down his bile seeing so many pigeons amongst others. He looked at the pigeons more carefully and saw they were haggard, pox-ridden, some nearly featherless and starved.

"..." Marco looked at them sorrowfully, before he heard something land behind.  
"Coo."  
"...fuck."

Marco rolled out of his hiding place before a storm of pigeons came tearing in, he spun the sword around him, hacking the poor pigeons that crossed the blade and threw it as far as he could.

Raiju!  
THUNDER FIST!

Marco slammed his fist into the ground and a shockwave sent the pigeons scattering, he grunted as he was Warped away, he looked around and saw he was inside of the castle, and even more pigeons were there to greet him.

Automata!  
IRON SKIN!

"I can't keep this up for very long...better find out where the royals are..." Marco thought as the pigeons tried to peck his insides and eyes out, but their beaks did nothing to the metallic Marco.

Until they started to drop furniture and slabs on him from above, Marco growled at the sight and molded some lightning and let it pulse through him,

Automata + Raiju!  
POLARITY!

Marco yelled as he suddenly shot through the ceiling and every consecutive ceiling until he was out of the castle's roof, he flapped his arms, the two Elementals shrieked with laughter, "YOU BITCHES!"

Marco focused and pushed himself back to the castle, landing on the roof and running towards a nearby spire, he summoned his sword and threw it through the brick and mortar and Warping inside.

Marco grunted as he skidded on the stone flooring and looked around, he settled himself seeing it was a prison and currently guarded.

Four Mewmans and four Monsters lunged at him with swords, lances and a morning star,  
"What the heck!"  
"Who're you!?"  
"INTRUDER!"

Marco spun low avoiding the blades and rolling past the morning star before he spun in mid air and roared,

Dunes + Automata!  
IRON SAND!

Said sand exploded from his sleeves before he gestured it to wrap around the guards before hardening, the guards raged from inside their prisons.

"Ugh!"  
"What the feck!"  
"Gwaaah, rage!"  
"...I don't know this arse."

Marco glared at them, he raised his sword and moved to the closest one, their eyes widen at the sight of him,

"It's him...the Human Man!"  
"Marco effin' Diaz..."  
"Biggus dick..."  
"...Dark Knight, the Monster Slayer, the Mewman Breaker."  
"Kek...he's no match for her."

That got Marco's attention, his eyes landed on a Monster, he stalked closer, "And who are you talking about...Nefon or Darcy."  
"...both?" the Monster blinked, he nodded and the sand shrunk inwards the Monster shrieked.

The other guards who still hand their weapons in their hands threw it at Marco with all their might, Marco's eyes harden as did the globs of sand, but his order was as calm as ever as he closed a open hand...

IRON COFFIN

The guards shrieked as the globs of iron sand shrunk and shrunk and shrunk into itself.  
Into a marble.

Marco didn't pity them a glance and stared at the Monster, who turned sheet white,  
"Talk. Now."  
"W-What are you?!"

Marco's eyes darken, the Fell bleeding into it, he grimace the sensation, being in Mewni really did bring the worst in him…

"I...can...Squire..."  
"…?" Marco turned to see Rich Pigeon looking at him from one of the cells, he quickly berated himself from his lack of attention to detail.

Marco looked at the Monster before he made a gesture and the Monster was shot through the wall followed by a hard thud later.

Marco looked at the cell and slashed it open, he didn't see Rich the first time, he had lost half of his feathers, pox-ridden and huddled in the corner where it stank of droppings. He sorta blend into the background, he knelt down and picked him up, Rich chuckled before he cooed,

"My parents...please..."  
"Where."  
"Next...cell..."

Marco walked to the next one to see Rich's parents.

Dead.

They were nestled together.  
Their bowl empty.  
Webs lingered it.

"...they pushed their portion…to me…through a crack…"  
"...Rich."  
"...they were the best parents...and rulers of this kingdom..."  
"Rich, let me—"  
"Bring outside. I must address my people. They must be stopped."

Marco solemnly nodded and brought out Rich Pigeon to the balcony, he coughed before Marco tapped his beak and held it up, he spoke but the sword emitted it instead,

"Hear me my loyal subjects!  
I, Prince Richard Pigeon, have been saved by Dark Knight Marco Diaz!  
No longer are you coerced to do that egg breakers doing! You are free once again!"

Marco saw the pigeon masses loop around the castle in celebration before many promptly plummeted to the ground. Exhausted. Freed of their burden.

"How many did she enslave."  
"…all of them: she used me as leverage." He coughed, he looked at Marco, "But she said I outlived my usefulness...she told the guards to stop feeding me and my parents, days ago."  
"Why? Why now?"

Rich shook his head weakly.

"She was going to collect some royal gems she said."

.

Higgs was set flying into a column, she hacked up blood before rolling to her side as a morning star came crashing for her head. She wiped her chin and leveled the FrostFlame the best she could,

"Un…believable!" Higgs roared, she spun the sword to deflect the projectiles before cartwheeling in midair and dodging furniture thrown at her. She slid underneath tables and chairs, running up a pillar and leaping off in a great display of athleticism, evading even more bouts of magic thrown at her as she grabbed onto a banner and swung to safety behind another pillar.

"Awww~ don't wanna play?"  
"Fight bitch!"  
"Tsk, but we're having so much fun right now! Aren't we~?"

Darcy smiled evilly as she marched upon the shivering knight, Higgs bit down on her lips as her blood down beneath her armor, brow and arms. Black thorn spikes grazed her but smaller ones did manage to pierce her shoulder and abdomen.

Higgs spun out of her hiding spot and swung with all her might, not caring how her body screamed,

SEARING BLIZZARD!

Darcy braced herself as the wave of burning ice actually forced her back even though she wore the Hell Crusader Armor, her boots digging into the flooring before she realized she was frozen all over.

"Heh—not bad. Stop them then~"

Higgs screamed as Star, Moon and River struck her down with the Royal Wand, magical sword and a battle-axe, the FrostFlame barely raised enough to protect her from their blows. Higgs breathed in haggardly as she kicked and scrambled away from the three royals, her head spinning at the onslaught she had to endure.

"Run little one, run~!" Darcy sneered as Higgs held up the sword the best she could, eyeing the three royals in front of her as they readied their assault on her once again.

"Marco...where are you...?" Higgs desperately prayed to herself.

 **XxXxXxXxX**

* * *

This first chapter is a really doozy in terms of length.  
I had to regrettably cut it in half otherwise you, my avid readers, would get lost in the sauce.

Ooh, Higgs, brave Higgs.  
Will she survive such adversaries?  
And will Marco make it in time to help his fellow knight? Stay tuned!

The following chapter should really kick off the battles between Marco and Darcy, who will reign supreme in their desperate struggles against each other. And who will be left standing when the dust settles, for no one on Mewni is truly safe...

WHO WILL SURVIVE!?

Ciao,  
I AM NRG

 **END OF TRANSMISSION**


	36. Chapter 34

**.  
Disclaimer**: we're in the fanfiction Endgame now.

 **Chapter 34**

Mewni Civil War:  
Crisis on Middle Mewni

 **XxXxXxXxX**

* * *

Higgs eyed King River, Queen Moon and Princess Star.  
Regarding which of them was the most threatening.

River with his battle-axe.  
Moon with her magical made swords.  
Star with the Royal Wand.

Or Darcy, the Fiend, the Scrounge of Mewni...who broke out of her ice prison and aimed the Misery Rose at her,

"Aw. Fuck."  
"Apt words~"

Higgs spun the sword weaving fire and ice, deflecting blows and erecting thin ice screens that proved little more than nuisances for the three royals.

Higgs blocked a blow to the neck only to be throttled by Moon and Star leaving her sprawling on the floor, hacking up blood, her visions going blurry and her limbs going cold and numb.

"I can't wait to pry MY sword out of your cold dead hands~!" Darcy taunted, Higgs's ragged breath only echoed her disdain for the clone, she numbly brought herself to her feet, unwilling to die on her knees before the Fiend.

"You'll get this sword alright...right through your twisted heart!" Higgs roared as she raised FrostFlame for battle once more, Darcy laughed at the declaration and charged for the hurt Higgs.

"Then you'll die braver than—!"

Darcy's black heart shot up to her mouth as the Traitor's Sword came whizzing at her side, the glistening hungry sheen of the sword forced her to twist painfully to dodge the razor sharp edge.

Darcy felt blood rush to her mouth as something incredibly powerful slammed on her back and sent her flying into a pillar. Higgs eyes widen as the wielder of the Traitor's Sword spun around and held it aloft before fire erupted all over, eyes full of fury and wrath,

"..."  
"!"

Darcy snarled and pushed herself up as Moon, River and Star stood there, unblinking. The Fiend lifted up her visor and shot blood out of her nose, she eyed the idiot who would so much as attack her.

"Ah...Darcy."  
"..."

Higgs's vision wasn't the best but she recognized the hoodie anywhere.

"Marco? What took you so long..."  
"Apologies, I came as quick as I could."

Higgs blinked.  
The knight dimly questioned if the beating she had taken from the four of them had finally made her hallucinate.

But when she wiped the sweat, blood and grime from her face did she see who it was standing before her.

It wasn't Marco.

It was a young girl in a red hoodie wielding amazingly the Traitor's Sword, Marco's personal blade.

"H-how...? Only Marco..."  
"Please, take heart: he is fine."

"Oh, but you won't be I'll—!?"

The youth ignored the rant Darcy was building up as she merely stuck the Traitor's Sword into the floor and fished out a phone with one hand and the other raising a finger; telling the clone to 'pause'.

Darcy felt an artery pop around her temple at the blatant sign of disrespect from the unknown girl.

"Mhmmm, yep, I'm at the right place," the youth mumbled to herself, oblivious to the danger she was in, she put her phone back before eyeing up her opponent, "And you—must be Darcy."

An ugly smirk spread across the clone's face,  
"I see my—"  
"I'LL BE KILLING YOU NOW."  
"!?"

Without warning Darcy found her body instinctually moving away.  
The Traitor's Sword skittering on the floor at the miss blade stroke.  
Darcy's eyes widen meeting the deep orange eyes, they looked just liked—

 **Breath of the Sun: Unbelievably Fast Body Flicker!**

A roar escaped the youth as she seemingly tore herself from the Traitor's Sword and suddenly slammed Darcy into the wall, who felt her entire spinal column snap. Darcy's senses screamed at her to act, to do anything to keep her away and she did just that, desperately swinging a spiked fist at her.

She hit nothing but air.

Just as quick as she struck Darcy, she was back on her sword catching it before it even hit the ground.

The youth glanced at the trio royals closing on Higgs, she spun the sword out of her hand before she leapt and kick off it sending it flying at Darcy who immediately ducked to avoid it.

Cartwheeling through the air, coming between the royals and the knight, Higgs stumbled back at the sudden appearance as she quickly contended with them.

 **Breath of the Sun: Twin Flame Halo!**

She feint a low kick before she performed a blazing windmill to flare to windmill again, fire dancing around her heels as she spun faster and faster, making it even thicker.

Higgs stared at the foreign fighting style she was seeing before she saw her seemingly throw the two flaming halos at the royals forcing them to scatter. Darcy looked ready to rumble but the youth was not having that and sent a fireball at her; Darcy arrogant over her abilities and armor stood there ready to take the heat.

Imagine her surprise when she sent tumbling back through several walls.

"That's enough of you! Stay down!"  
"WHO ARE YOU?"

The youth backed up keeping Higgs behind her, "Name's Hestia! Time to take care of these!"  
Without backward glance, Hestia yanked out the spikes, Higgs readied to shriek but somehow Hestia pulled it out with little discomfort to her, the knight blinked before several will-o-wisps freed itself from Hestia's bushy red hair and circled her, warming her.

"W-what?"  
"Don't hit them, they hate that." Hestia raised the sword, keeping her guard up, "They'll excite your blood and in theory that should let your body recover quicker—at the very least you'll stop bleeding."

Higgs patted her cuts and gashes she received feeling extremely warm before she pulled FrostFlame into guard, hoping Hestia was right.

"What's wrong with these three?"  
"..." Hestia fished out her phone again and read from it before stashing it away, "They have been enthralled by Darcy...she's gotten stronger in the magick department; that's not good. Among other things..."

River, Star and Moon gazed upon them, unblinking.

"How—is it permanent?" Higgs asked as the trio began to stalk closer, Hestia frown at the question, she shook her head.

"If _he_ doesn't arrive soon—we'll be in a whole slew of trouble." Hestia muttered, she looked sadly at the three royals; _to think I'll look upon these familiar faces I've seen so many times as a child, forced to fight them…Fate you are too cruel sometimes..._

Star darted forward making a morning star, Hestia slammed the Traitor's Sword down before inhaling and spewing out a wall of fire forcing her to backstep, Hestia spun around Higgs forming a ring of fire before taking back the sword.

"...oh great now we're trapped."  
"...then just jump out of the ring if you're so heckin' fresh about fighting them then."  
"...no. I don't think so."  
"...you never change." Hestia muttered under her breath.

The royals watched them for a moment before they began to circle them; Higgs lit FrostFlame with the ring of fire and held it forward just as the three decided to attack.

"Here they come!"  
"!?"

Despite being outnumbered the two defended back to back, blocking axe swings, magic swords and the odd assortments of spells. Higgs blinked as Hestia naturally bended to her movements despite seeing none of her at all, snaking around her footwork and blade strokes, twice Higgs was sure she was about to be skewered only to be moved a fraction of an inch away.

Hestia felt sweat forming on her as she continuously kept the flames lit and weaving around the attacks; mentally counting down...

 _...3_  
Hestia swayed from blade's reach.

 _...2_  
Higgs threw off an axe swing.

 _...1_  
Hestia grabbed Higgs and yanked her to the floor.

The fire extinguished as a portal shrieked to life as the Traitor's Sword tore it open, Hestia and Higgs's breath hitched seeing Marco armor-clad leapt out of it, his face contorted with crimson fury.

"DARCY!"  
"She's not the problem right now! It's the three royals!" Hestia yelled.

Marco looked at her quizzically before she jabbed a finger forward, "You better watch your head if you don't want to lose it! River has a very sharp axe!"

Marco narrowed his eyes at her, Hestia and Higgs's breath hitched as River suddenly appeared at his side, his arms cocked back for a brutal axe swing. The Dark Knight gave him an unconcerned glance as the blade raced for his vulnerable ribs

Just as iron sand exploded from his red hoodie and protectively wrapped around him; stopping the blade dead in its tracks, River's bewitched face didn't betray an emotion as he quickly retreated just as the sand tried to pin him down via massive clawed hands.

Marco dusted the black sand away from himself as it hovered around him,

"When doesn't he."

Marco faced off with the Butterfly royals, they stared unblinking at the newcomer but still kept their weapons poised on them. Without a backward glance Marco questioned the two,

"Is this Darcy's doing? What did she do to them."  
"They're under a spell!" Hestia answered, Marco tilted his head to the side while Higgs gave her a glance; feeling the questioning and prodding from the two, the youth pulled out a phone and quickly waved it, "Duh? Justfollowtheplotdotedu?"  
"That's not a real thing." Marco said flatly.  
"I say it's a real thing." Hestia hissed.

Marco scoffed just as the royals flew at him, the floating sand froze in midair before shooting forward forcing the royals to scatter. Marco watched them for a moment as they dodged the striking sand before they gave it the slip and homed in on him, he pulled the Traitor's Sword into guard as the three rained blows on him.

Marco didn't entertain the three.  
With devastating chops, Marco broke apart River's axe, Moon and Star's magical weapons before the iron sand caught the three and harden, clanging hard into the floor.

"That's enough." Marco growled, "You three are enough a problem without being 'enchanted'."

Hestia and Higgs stared at the quick work he made out of the three, he gave Hestia an impatient look,

"How do I break the spell?" Marco ignored the three as they rocked their prison slightly.

Hestia scrolled through her phone, Higgs tried to peek but Hestia flipped it over so she couldn't see it, "The spell is based on emotion—you can override it with something stronger than what she used."  
"Fine, then my Fury—"  
"YOU CAN'T USE YOUR NEGATIVE EMOTIONS! HER OWN IS COLLECTIVE OF ALL WHO SHE HAS EATEN AND ABSORBED!" Hestia insisted.

"Bet." Marco deadpan.

"USE A HAPPY MEMORY." Hestia insisted forcefully before she conjured a handful of gold fire and ran it over Higgs's injuries, "I mean it!"

"Hmph, fine." Marco muttered, he wasn't all that convinced as he faced the king first: he half expecting River to be huffing and frothing like a madman since he was contained but his dead fish eyes and impassive face was unexpected.

Marco placed his hand on River's bald spot and immediately he pulled away, the Dark Knight frowned at king's action,

"Stay still damnit!" Marco's hand slipping from the man's head, in that instant River's lunged and nearly bit off Marco's fingers. No longer interested in making it painless, Marco immediately punched the Mewman across the face. Despite his action his thoughts were far from the satisfaction of what he had done but rather the loss of a mentor, someone akin to a father figure even...someone River could have been but wasn't...

 _An elderly StudMuffin smirked at him, "Hey, kid...good to see you."  
Marco stared at him, first he was shocked seeing his advance age—but also glad the old merc managed to live to a ripe old age despite all the things he had done counter to it: gunfights, smoking heavily and bitches._

 _Marco's lips tugged to a full-blown smile.  
He hugged the old merc, Stud loudly complained but—he couldn't care less..._

 _But—_

 _This was the last time he would see StudMuffin before the bombs fell on them..._

River's head lulled to the side from the blow, Hestia and Higgs gave him a certain look but he ignored them and proceeded to Moon, the queen was very much the same as her husband: blank staring.

Marco wasn't fooled at all.  
And not entirely surprised when Dunes and Automata yelped as the iron cladding exploded as Moon unleashed magic to escape alongside Star.

Marco quickly reformat the black sand around him as Star and Moon decided to unleash a barrage of magic upon the three. The sand quickly shot above the three and shielded them from the arcing volley, Marco slammed his hand on the floor before it became slick with ice, causing the two to slip.

Marco frowned when the two quickly recover by changing to their Butterfly forms avoiding the slippery ice, he ran out of the cover and shot lightning from his fingertip, Hestia and Higgs followed unleashing their own attacks to ground the airborne royals. The two immediately zoomed around the throne room, dodging the attacks before retaliating, their six arms shining with magic.

"Look out!" Marco rolled out of the way as Star and Moon did a magic bombardment run on the three of them, Hestia grabbed Higgs and hid behind a pillar avoiding the blasts. Marco snarled as they looped for another one, Hestia and Higgs readying their swords, but he beat them to it, lest their combined attacks became fatal to the bewitched Butterflys.

Marco touched the icy floor before a massive tree suddenly grew to the ceiling entrapping both Star and Moon who both tried to avoid it.

Marco threw the sword high into the tree before warping himself to it and quickly reached for Star, intending to end the farce quickly; surely with Star's magic it would undo Darcy's blasted magick.

Marco grunted when Moon broke free and throttled him, breaking branches with his back as the two plummeted for the ground, Hestia's arm was already flung back, ready to warp to her father when Yuki burst from the tree's snowy base and caught him and Moon.

"Who is she?!" Higgs exclaimed.  
"...a friend." Hestia replied quietly as her hand faltered.

FREEZE!

Marco managed to hold down Moon long enough for the ice to race up and imprison her, Star thrashed overhead sending down leaves and sticks on the three. He glanced to the princess before Moon cracked the icy prison with magic; dealing with the immediate problem Marco placed on Moon's head and recalled a better memory.

.

 _"C'mon, this place is comin' down!"_  
 _"N-no! Scary!"_

 _Marco looked at the scared child, she huddled herself against the corner, just from arm's reach. Marco ducked as gunfire almost found his back, he pulled out his FN57 and fired at the mooks, making corpses before he tuck his pistol away and held out a hand again._

 _The little girl stared at his soot and gore covered hand._  
 _Marco looked at his hand and hastily wiped it._

 _"StudMuffin! We need to get out of here!"_  
 _"IN A MINUTE!"_

 _Marco looked at the child again, she started crying, rocking herself._

 _"C'mon kid!"_  
 _"S-scared!"_

 _Marco frowned, feeling more and more impatient, "There's no more bad guys! They're all gone!"_

 _She cried and shook her head, pointing at him._

 _"Scary! Monster!"_

 _Marco blinked. The realization hitting him like a gunshot wound._  
 _He pulled the mask free from his face, wiping his sweaty bangs from his face and he looked at the child again._

 _"See, no monster? I'm not scary." Marco said soothingly._  
 _The girl stared at him._  
 _Her dirty face concealing a blush rushing to her cheeks._

 _Marco held out his hand again before he backpedals as the child shot out of her hiding place and hugged him. Marco held her close as they escaped the place, the girl watched him with big innocent eyes as he directed his hired guns, "Alright, let's get you somewhere safe. What's your name sweety?"_

 _"...Vixen."_  
 _"Vixen, eh?" Marco chuckled, the girl puffed up her cheeks._

 _"...StudMuffy?"_  
 _"StudMuffin." He corrected her._  
 _"StudMuffy."_  
 _"Mhmmm," Marco smirked, "Maybe that's a bit too hard—just call me, Marco."_  
 _"Marco?" Vixen asked, he nodded, she smiled and pressed her chubby round face against his cheek, "Marco!"_

 _Marco smiled, stroking her hair, not seeing her smile._  
 _Carrying little Vixen home..._

.

Moon's eyes rolled back as the magick was expunged from her.  
Marco turned his eyes back on

Star came crashing at him feet first.  
Yuki grabbed Marco by the hood and yanked him away even as Hestia and Higgs burst from their hiding spot.

Yuki summoned a wall of ice only to have Star point the wand at it and made it into Swiss cheese, the iron sand snaked around the wall and tried to capture the princess but in unnatural speed Star evaded the lunging mass.

She spun away from the snatching sand and sealing ice, Higgs sent Fire Darts dancing after her; Hestia brought her sword forth, sending a whirling gale. Marco's eyes flicked to her sword, thankfully since his arrival Hestia fashioned the sword into a rather elegant form, it scarcely looked like his own.

Marco, Higgs and Hestia faced off against the bewitched Star, even under the spell the princess knew she was outnumbered and outmatched against the three. Marco dropped to a stance and lunged forward, leading the other two against the Mewman princess, Higgs flanked his left and Hestia ran on his right.

Until she hopped back as something tried to clip her legs, Hestia's saw it was a massive crow, its eyes locked on her, imagine her surprise when it screeched at her,

"ATTACK LIQUID!"  
"!?"

Hestia's hair stood on ends, she spun the Parallel Traitor's Sword behind and blunt the blow intended for the back of her head. She still found herself falling forward, with a single handspring, the Time Cop faced off with the new assailant.

Marco foamed at the mouth at the sight of her.  
Hestia blinked, somewhere Higgs yelled about some bloody crow.

"What madness is this!" Hestia spat, she dodged the mad rush at her, only to be thrown into a nearby pillar to her utmost surprised, "HOW?!"

Hestia leapt to her feet, unsure how she could have been thrown until she felt her hoodie, feeling where the claws hooked—claws!?

She saw indeed the 'Marco' had claws, he revealed his maw and saw it lined with razor sharp canines, "This isn't right...something is afoul here!"

Hestia crouched and rolled to her back, tucking her knees to her chest as this 'Marco' lunged at her, at the key time she straighten, kicking her feet upwards so hard that she bodily left the floor.

And the snarling 'Marco' through the ceiling.

Hestia rolled back to her feet before the crow slammed into her midsection as it shrieked,  
"YOU HARLOT!"  
"SHUT UP YOU!"

Hestia summoned her sword and readied to bisect it just as it exploded with lightning; the two exiting through a window with the two wailing.

Higgs picked herself up, feeling a surge run down her arm, her entanglement with that massive crow was beyond bizarre but she needed to get her head back in the fight. Marco had the black sand wrapped around his arm as he used it to stave off Star's magical blasts, Higgs rubbed the bruises she received from being rammed into the walls by the crow as she haggardly made her way to Marco, if she could just put Star in a block of ice then

Higgs yelled when a corpse fell right in front of her.  
Then it stood up.  
Higgs held the sword up to see it was Marco, battered and bloody.

Her eyes darted to the one with Star and she paid for it, for the split second her eyes were off this Marco, it lunged at her with sharp claws and teeth to match. FrostFlame found flesh as Higgs desperately held the sword as the monstrous 'Marco' put her in a backbreaking bear hug, feeling claws dig into her just as the sword was sandwiched between the two.

"Gragh!" Higgs cried as the FrostFlame sawed against her and the other body, she inhaled deeply before she commanded the sword to unleash frigid ice spikes but the 'Marco' did not slump dead from having its organs skewered.

In fact it tried to bite her face off.  
She swayed her head out of the way.  
And again.  
Hearing the jaws of death clatter so close.

Higgs's actions enraged the beast and she found her feet no longer touching the ground, herself leaning forward as a wide maw greeted her hungrily, ready to devour her whole...

WINTER WISH!

Marco roared as he skidded back from Star's barrage of magic, sparing a glance at the Mewman knight, the sword flashed blue and Higgs felt cold pierce her insides, the beast froze.

Literally.

Higgs flexed her muscles, her face turning purple before an audible sound of cracking ice reached her ears. She fell on her butt before she scampered away, feeling her tunic stick to her skin, feeling the cut underneath; Higgs looked back at the beast seeing the missing arms.

It looked so much like Marco.  
But Higgs knew better: it was just some sick imitation. Something Darcy made.

Higgs broke into a forced jog, wanting to repay Marco for the assist that saved her life, she could see his frustration trying to restrain the bewitched princess, his attire much more tattered than earlier.

"Marco—aaargh!"

Higgs screamed as she skidded face first into the floor, she rolled to her side as something tried to trample her a moment later; the sound of her sword skittering away somewhere.

Whipping her disheveled bangs aside, the Mewman knight looked up and saw the beast had returned.  
Both arms flexed and bulging with muscle.  
Claws even longer and sharper.

The beast was on fours, hunching on its hind legs before lunging at her, Higgs's hand reached for her dagger, no matter how puny it was it was better than fighting it barehanded. Higgs could see the beast's wild gleam in its eyes, she could even see her own reflection, her face drained of color as it got closer, claws ready to rend her to bloody pieces...

 **Breath of the Sun: Sunset Cleaver!**

Hestia appeared above the beast, her sword racing for its neck.  
Higgs heard Hestia curse as she landed in front of her.

"...tsk! I don't believe I missed!"  
"Missed?"

Hestia helped her up, revealing a puddle of blood and a severed forearm.  
The beast nowhere to be seen.

"What happened to the rest of it?!"  
"Forget about it—Marco needs help!"

Higgs couldn't hide her haggard pants as she followed Hestia, she looked as if she was ran through a barn and she herself wasn't looking too hot either. Marco had most of his armor blown off him already, the black sand acting as a pseudo armor against Star's magic, but

"Why haven't you beaten her yet!?" Hestia yelled  
Marco ignored her.

"Stay behind me."  
"If we do, princess over there is going to blow more of your clothes off."  
"...she wont."

Star's blank eyes bore into the three of them.  
Again she was outnumbered.  
Higgs not trusting the familiar situation glanced around and blocked a spike aimed at her side.

"YOU!"  
"Me~"

Darcy was leaning against the throne room's doorframe watching the spectacle, the Misery Rose in one hand.

Veins riddled Marco's temple at the sight of his abomination of a clone, Hestia's hair bristle and Higgs found a scowl on her lips.

"Oh, don't ogle me! Star is just as a spicy treat~!"

Marco brought his sword down just as Star pointed the Wand at the three and unleashed her golden death ray on the trio, splitting the blast and blowing holes out of the castle. Darcy laughed at their predicament before she came charging in, making cracks on the floor with each lumbering step. Her maniacal smile shown, her helm lost somewhere in the castle after challenging Hestia.

Marco held his ground but the daunting steps of Darcy made his blood boil; he wanted nothing more than to lop her head from her shoulders.

Higgs and Hestia's eyes laser focused on the clone and without a second thought  
Ditched Marco for Darcy.

"Don't die Marco!" Higgs yelled as she ran full force at the clone, Hestia easily beating her.  
"God, I'd hate to be their parents."

Hestia sneezed.

The moment the death ray stopped Marco surged forward, the black sand wrapping him instinctively as Star reverted back to her normal form. Marco always knew that magic wasn't a good match up to the Elementals: it defies the natural ways of the world; twisting in all it touches.

"Come out and fight!"  
"..." Star merely gazed on.

Marco tried to hide Automata and Dunes within him, but they refused, buffing the magical blows Star dealt to him knowing they were getting hurt by shielding him. And knowing his refusal on turning the Traitor's Sword on her.

The black sand wrapped around his arm and shoulder forming a pauldron and bracer, he took the frontal blast as the other Elementals leapt out of his back and flanked the princess. Star unfurled her wings and shot into the air, Moku and Jewel unleashed pillars of crystal and trees to stop her, Moku managed a glancing blow sending Star crashing against a column.

"Don't let her recover!" Marco threw the sword and warped, hoping to grab her but she managed to kick him in the face and tried to stay airborne. The Elementals seeing Marco plummet to the ground were enraged, Primal even.

Automata and Dunes bended the black sand to buffer the crash leaving Raigu, Golem, Moku, Jewel and Yuki to give chase, relentlessly. Star grew out her extra arms and magically bombarded the chasing Elementals, they cried and howled as the magic bolts struck them but instead of being slowed down—they were embolden by the pain, a familiar hate growing within them...

Higgs and Hestia didn't hear the sounds of nature running amok or the shaking of the castle.  
Not when Darcy smiled at them arrogantly.

"You two had a lot of fun with my puppets—but what you did to Prince Craven and Liquid Lizard: IS UNFORGIVABLE! I WILL HAVE YOUR HEAD!"  
"RIGHT BACK YA!"

Higgs made a path of ice before using it to accelerate at Darcy, Hestia let out a vicious fireball at her.

The clone clenched her left gauntlet before slamming it into the floor sending a rippling shockwave, Higgs conjured an ice pillar shooting her airborne while Hestia jettison herself via flames to avoid the attack.

Without an upward glance, Darcy pointed the Misery Rose at them and roared,  
AGONY THORN!

Higgs snapped the FrostFlame unleashing her Fire Darts.  
Hestia inhaled and spewed out miniature fireballs,

 **Breath of the Sun: Prideful Sunflower Volley!**

Fireballs versus thorn spikes.

Darcy endured the fire before she launched herself at the two, Hestia thrust the Traitor's Sword forward while Higgs did the same with her own sword, but Darcy just bared her teeth.  
And grin.

Hestia heard something above her break and she kicked Higgs and herself away just as part of the ceiling came a hairbreadth from crushing them. Darcy in an unnatural display of athleticism rebounded off the chuck of ceiling and crashed into Higgs sending her flat against the wall cracking it, blood shooting out of her mouth and nose.

Not a moment later Darcy was in front of her, grinning.

"I'll be taking that—ack!"  
"BITCH."

Higgs shoved the sword into Darcy's throat.  
Darcy glared at her before she swung her sword.

Black thorn spikes raced for Hestia forcing her swerve out of the way.  
Darcy had dislocated her arm to allow for the ridiculous back swing.  
Higgs saw her chance and ignited the sword.

Darcy backhanded her.  
Higgs spat blood on the floor, unable to feel the right side of her face.

"Know your place~" the sound of bones and tendons snapped back into place.  
"KNOW YOURS!"

Higgs numbly rolled to her side.  
Feeling incredibly tired.  
She knew she was in pain, she had to be.

But all she could register was the girl was fighting on her own against Darcy...  
Pity...she was so awe-inspring...she could hardly keep her eyes...open…

"STAR, NOOO!"

Higgs's heavy eyelids shot open.  
Her heart lodged in her throat when the princess struck the girl in the back with her golden death ray before Darcy savagely brought the Misery Thorn down on her.

Or would have if not for Marco warping and nearly beheading her.  
Darcy, damnit, how can she move so quickly in the Hell Crusader Armor…  
Looking arrogant as ever…

"Typical Marco~! Always saving the damsel! PREDICTABLE!"

Darcy tore off her left gauntlet and revealed her fist proudly.  
And the gems that were crudely hammered into it.

Bloodily encrusted were the Unicorn of PonyHead, the Horn of Hekapoo, Rhombulus Nipple Gem and King River's Scepter Jewel. Darcy had grind down the Unicorn and Horn and compressed them into gems, stole the Gem from Star's collection and ripped the Jewel from the Scepter to augment her powers.

Marco's eyes harden at the stolen relics, especially the one that she had taken from Hekapoo; his sword began to drool. Hestia mumbled an apology as Marco held her protectively, feeling this _particular_ magic hurt her deeply.

Darcy smiled.  
Marco's hand tightens around his sword.

"DRAW~!"

Marco flung the sword with all his might.  
Darcy sidestep the whirling sword of death.  
Darcy smiled wider. Even as he warped to it, his form perfect.

Higgs gave a strangled cry.

Marco's eyes darted back.  
Star fired her death ray again.  
At Hestia.

For the briefest second Darcy's and Marco's eyes met: she looked proud. And right.

Marco gritted his teeth bitterly and found himself in front of the magical blast, severing down the middle, the split beam making even more holes in the castle. Darcy wasted no time blasting Marco with his back turned.

Darcy screamed when Marco instead of taking a rear blast as well, he threw his one lifeline at Darcy, the clone feeling her flesh writhe in agony. Marco's gambit however did not stop his other predicament and took the full brunt of Star's golden magic blast.

Marco's yell was loud, but Hestia's scream was even louder as he shielded her from it.

Higgs stared pale face as both Marco and Hestia were crumpled against a column.  
Even after being smoked, Marco still had Hestia in his arms.

Darcy sneered.  
Even as blood drip inside of her armor.

"I've been watching you, Marco—sooo predictable! That stupid sword of yours, your weakness to magic and your desire to protect! HA!" she pointed a finger at Star, "She's all of that wrapped in one, isn't she?"

Darcy cackled as Marco stirred, even battered the Dark Knight gave her a resolute glare.  
And that was enough for the clone to come stomping at him.

"The thing is—I wonder why you protected _her_ though." Darcy's murderous eyes fell the unconscious Hestia.  
"I don't know who she is, but..." Marco looked at her, his finger gently brushing her red bangs revealing her young face, "You're never going to lay a hand on her."

Darcy laughed at his promise.  
"Oh, Marco: there's nothing you have I cannot rip away from your grasp~!"

Marco snarled summoning his sword and threw it at Darcy, but she easily deflect the weak throw,

"Nice try—!?"

Darcy's taunting was cut short when Higgs came swinging in with a bar of fire, her eyes hard on the clone, Darcy blocked the blow before the Mewman knight followed up with another vicious swing.

Darcy easily parried the hit.  
Her eyebrows shot to her hairline when she staggered back from the sheer force alone, her face purely conveyed 'did...did that just happen?'.

Higgs's face is contorted with nothing but fury for the clone before her.  
Taking a knightly stance, Higgs charges Darcy, anyone could see what her intention was: breaking Darcy to pieces.

"So the Mewman finally shows her worth~! Adorable!"  
"RAAAAAH!"

Darcy's misguided mirth was replaced with disbelief as each swing she parried forced her back.  
Every strike Higgs was lashing out used nothing less than every ounce of strength she could muster, further staggering the clone.

Darcy recovered from her surprise and met Higgs, blow for blow, realizing that Higgs was matching her in strength. Even more that she was quick never staying in one place as she and Star tried to blast her with magic. Her single-minded focus, her onslaught completely overwhelmed her; Darcy gasped feeling exposed skin bleeding from the knight's consecutive slashes.

Trying to control the flow of combat, Darcy tried to spike her with her sword only to have Higgs parry the would be attack and stabbed the FrostFlame between the plating, painfully into her armpit. She screeched when ice exploded inside her flesh and armor, having only minute exits to escape from, rendering the arm useless.

Star tried to blast her again but Higgs managed to fling a hailstone at the princess knocking her off her feet.

Darcy foolishly changed sword hand, only to have Higgs punish her once more, this time driving the sword into her kneecap and freezing it solid. Working through the pain, Darcy thrust at her, knowing the sword is lodged—

With a savage twist and an unpleasant crack, Darcy screamed as she is brought to her knees.  
Higgs ripped the sword out, hopping away from her reach and brought the sword high, it exploded with a pillar of fire and ice, arcing in the air before twisting and hurtling straight for her.

 **"** **HAMMER OF HIGGS!"**

Darcy raised her left hand too late as the attack smashed her down through the floor down to the very base of the castle.

Higgs roared almost animalistic.  
She smiled victorious at what she had done, her eyes dilated, her face pale, her breathing turning faint, she gave Marco a look of elation as he had watched in pure shock at her fight.  
He crawls to his feet and ran with arms forward as she fell sideways, Star appeared with her wand pointed at Higgs, Marco roared,

"THAT'S ENOUGH STAR!"

Hearing Marco's command, the Elementals that were subdued by Star's magic rose to their feet. They were determined to restrain Star, knowing Marco's affection for the princess, but after being humiliated by the very force that ran opposite to their existence—they were murderous.

Golem, Yuki, Moku, Raiju and Jewel flew at the princess as she quickly took off.  
Their Primal forms surfacing, Marco quickly set Higgs with Hestia and ran after the Elementals before they killed Star, Automata and Dunes not being particularly helpful when Marco willed them to help restrain their sisters.

"…" Marco looked at the passive black sand, "HEY."  
 _Can't help it. We're tired.  
And hurt._  
"...no more K-Pop."  
 _Bet.  
HEY._

Marco summons and throws his sword as Star tried to outrun the Elementals each holding their weapon of choice, already suffering from repeated glancing hits.

"THAT IS ENOUGH!" Marco roared, the Elementals snarled but stalked back to him as Star pressed herself against the wall, her eyes on him.

He made himself a shield with the black sand and held his sword in guard,  
"Star. If you don't—"

Star shot a magic bolt at him.

Marco brought his sword down, destroying it before he flash-step and pinned her to the wall with the shield as it quickly encased her.

"Finally!" Marco watched as the black sand hardens, "This farce is over."  
 _Good. Now crush her.  
Yes~_  
"HEY."

Marco pushed the haughty Elementals away as he placed a hand on Star's forehead and purged Darcy's control over her...

.

 _Star and I looked at the once ghastly yet proud castle of Ludo, blown to smithereens by Star's Whispering Spell she used on the Royal Butterfly Wand. I stared at the massive crater, my thoughts on how close Star and I had nearly bought the farm..._

 _And I was the cause of it.  
Star had to decide between me and her birthright..._

 _I already knew what she would choose.  
The Fated outcome...  
It was so plain to see—even Toffee knew...all according to his plan._

 _The look on each other's face said it all:  
If given the same choice, the outcome would be the same.  
A hundred times. A thousand. A million. A billion.  
It was Fate._

 _Without a word, we embraced.  
Not like before...and never the same afterwards.  
Our hugs…they were full of elation and testament to a job well done…the ones that followed were full of reassurance and comfort for the tragedies that came._

 _I...wanted nothing more to comfort Star.  
Keep her safe.  
Know that so long I was around...there would be nothing to fear._

 _I felt how she bury herself into my arms.  
I solemnly promised to protect her.  
My heart full of hope to that promise..._

 _Oh, how I wished I could keep that childish promise of mine..._

.

Marco pulled back his hand.

Star stared back at him blankly.  
Marco felt a building dread within him.

"...shit!" Marco rolled back as the black sand prison exploded as Star escaped, but not unscathed as her clothes were tattered from the explosive magic she had to use.

Marco stared at the princess, unsure why his memory didn't work,  
"Hold her down again!"  
 _We tried it your way. Now: she's our prey._  
"Damnit, no she is not!"

Marco blocked a bolt to the face before he warped to her.  
Blocking a punch for the face, Marco quickly disarm her, knocking the Wand from her.  
The black sand wrapped around her before Marco called Yuki and Jewel, they begrudgingly listened as Marco warped them back to the floor as he layered the prison.

"Alright, let's try this again." Marco place his hand on Star's forehead, focusing hard on a happy memory.

.

 _I ran for where Star fell after her Mewberty episode.  
I was so unwilling to let her go—I put so many of my classmates in danger.  
Feeling my fingers give...contrary to what I felt..._

 _"_ _Star!" she looked woozy, "You came back!"  
I hugged her, feeling her hug back.  
Those words though...what did I mean?_

 _What did Star come back to?  
...she  
She came back to me..._

 _And I couldn't be more glad...and happy._

.

Still Star remained enthralled.  
Marco's brow furrowed in confusion.

"Damnit, why isn't this working?!" Marco seethed, he could feel the killer intent from the Elementals, his heart pounding with every failure on his part, "Star why are you—"

Marco stopped in mid sentence at the sight of her.  
Star was blankly looking at him.  
Tears dripping down her impassive face.

Marco blinked slowly, he knelt closer to the princess,  
"Star...?"  
"..."

/Marco. Stop wasting our time./

Marco felt the Concept of Music step out of him, she spun him around and had him face her, she grinned at the sight of his distraught face,

/Gonna cry~?/  
"What are you doin—!?"

Musica stuffed her first few knuckles into his open mouth, he blinked as she forced herself to smile.  
/You're trying too hard, Marco. You're forcing your happy memories into her when you should being using her own. C'mon, dig through that big brain of yours: when did you make Star happy?/  
"Mphrgh."

Musica took her fist out and Marco snarled,  
"There's too many to count."  
/...are there? Mhmmm?/ Musica challenged Marco, he looked back at Star, feeling all eyes on him.

He didn't lie.  
There were many happy memories he associated with Star...  
But which one would did she treasure the most?

Musica hissed at him.  
The Elementals stalked closer forcing Marco scoot closer to Star, the princess continued to stare blankly even as tears continued to fall...

Marco racked his memory, dredging up memories  
 _/Too long,/_ Musica rolled her eye and 'playfully' flicked the back of Marco's head,  
 _/Get going lover boy~/_

The playful flick was more like a shove.  
Marco found himself kissing the princess.

His eyes were wide.  
As he stared deep into Star's baby blue eyes.  
She did the same, getting lost in Marco's creamy brown ones.

Musica smiled and sang.

 _Imasara kanashii to sakebu niwa  
(No matter how much of sorrow we've had for each other)  
Amari ni subete ga ososugita kana  
(It's just too late — it was too late to take another step)  
Mou ichido hajime kara arukeru nara  
(Just once more, only if we could start our days again—)  
Surechigau you ni kimi ni aitai  
(Passing by on a road—that's enough for you and me)_

What memory does Star treasure…?  
We have so many...what can I possibly single out?

"This? No..."  
"This? No."  
"Maybe—yeah, heckin' no."

Marco rifled through his memories, there were just so many—  
 _"No...there isn't. These memories, its about me...I need to go deeper..."_

 _Doredake setake ga kawarou tomo  
(No matter how we've grown up by means of age or height—)  
Kawaranai nanika ga arimasu you ni  
(I wish we could have something else that hasn't changed at all)  
Kudaranai omokage ni hagemasare  
(Recalling your stupid memories, I feel I'm encouraged)  
Ima mo utau, ima mo utau, ima mo utau  
(So now I sing, now I sing, now I sing)_

 _Lalala lalala lalala~_

Marco watched his memories flood his mind's eye: him and Star, all of them sharing in all sorts of shenanigans. He watched as his memories sped past unsure where it was going...at this rate there would be only...!

Marco's eyes widen when he finally understood what memory Star treasured the most:

 _It was the day she came to Earth:  
the same day she met him._

Focusing on that, Marco deepens the kiss with the princess, feeling her slowly return it.  
The prison that held Star peel off her as she hesitantly wrapped her arms around Marco, closing her eyes as she relived the memory alongside Marco.

 _It was his acceptance of her, a rambunctious magical princess from another dimension, into his normal life.  
They even had their first hug to commemorate it—the one that started it all..._

The two watched the memory.  
It felt so distant.  
But it was plain to see how much they cared for one another...

Watching how close the two of them once were, Marco felt a warmth blossom in his chest, the Roman Numeral on his chest flared up considerable, responding to Marco's forgotten happiness as the two walked down memory lane. The vivid heat began to spread throughout his body destroying all vestige of the corruption that plagued him for so long.

Monster Arm awoke from its induced coma from the Pendragon King and roared wildly confused when it realized its body shriveled from the magic Eclipsa had charmed upon Marco. It tried in frighten desperation to stop the magic but came to a gut retching realization Marco would not be denied his salvation this day.

Snarling Monster Arm spewed every curse it knew at Marco from the dark depths of his heart,

 ** _MARCO DIAZ! YOU'RE NOT GETTING RID OF ME THAT EASILY!  
BE FOREVER MARKED BY MY VISAGE!  
LET IT LINGER UPON YOUR FLESH, A REMINDER THAT YOU ARE—!_**

The rest were lost to the roar of agony that Monster Arm unleashed, reverberating through Marco's skull.  
The mercenary paid it no mind.

Even as a painful surged ran through Marco's arm but he wrestled it down.  
Hestia woke up startled and grabbed her right arm, black tentacle tendril tattoos appearing from fingertip to her shoulder.  
Her bushy red hair turned silky black.

The two were so entranced by their memory that they didn't notice Musica abruptly stopped singing.  
Sensing her beloved vaporized by Eclipsa's magic, Musica's face turned somber at its fate.  
Knowing her hand in it's demise...

The Elementals moved closer to her, looking at her concerned, unsure what to say as she looked at the two kissing teens.  
Her eyes...hard.  
Her full lips tighten, her fists even more.

Marco pulled back to see Star, free of the magic that Darcy had set upon her.  
She smiled as he gently caressed her cheek.  
Star bashfully blushed at the gesture,

"Marco..."  
"Star."

The princess held his hand for a moment  
and shoved him back.

Just as the Traitor's Sword spilled out of her belly.

"YOU USELESS WENCH!" Darcy screamed from behind the princess, as she covered her mouth, blood pouring between her lips and fingers.

Marco's eyes followed Star when she slid off the blade, her hand trying to stem the flow of blood.

He didn't notice when Darcy was electrified by the sword's mad lightning of red and black, sizzling the Hell Crusader Armor cherry red nor the flames that soon engulfed the Fiend.

Darcy cocked her arm back and flung the sword at him.

Only to have it reappear in his hand.  
Darcy blinked in disbelief.

Marco leveled the sword at the Scourge of Mewni.  
His eyes hollowed out.

 **gROVE sTYLE : bUTTERCUP'S gARDEN OF mADNESS**

And everyone on Mewni knew his fury.

 **XxXxXxXxX**

* * *

...

For y'all late to the party last time.  
I had to re-write this chapter.  
This hasn't happened since back when I wrote about Naruto fanfics; dark times.

Feedback has always been good.  
You can already see where I'm going with this.

I can understand why some avid readers would be disjointed by the Darcy Arc, the Flashbacks, etc.  
But I've read gripe over things that didn't even make sense to me.

One of them was Marco's affection for Star.  
Perhaps I worded it strangely but it more or less conveyed his past love for her.  
What would follow, for those who read the chapter before I tore it down, would close out this arc and book. Sadly, its going to take longer to reach that point. Again.

And for those who I used for the anagrams.  
If you dislike the arrangements I made, PM me so I can make revisions.  
'cept MRAY.

 **Songs in the order of appearance:**  
Haiiro to Ao (+ Masaki Suda) ／ Kenshi Yonezu (Covered by KOBASOLO & Harutya)

Their Internal Default Song as seen by Concept Musica regarding Marco Diaz:

 **Star Butterfly** : Spice Girl – Wannabe  
 **Jackie Lynn Thomas** : The Black Eyed Peas – My Humps  
J **anna Ordonia** : Nelly ft. Kelly Rowland - Dilemma  
 **Kelly** : Avril Lavigne - Complicated  
 **Higgs** : 2NE1 – Hate You  
 **Eclipsa Butterfly** : Maroon 5 – She Will Be Loved  
 **Hekapoo** : Eminem ft. Rihanna - Love the Way You Lie  
 **Moon Butterfly** : Fountains of Wayne - Stacy's Mom

 **[Inactive]**  
Ignis [Fire] A human version of Hekapoo minus horns [The Halo of the Sun]  
Undine [Water] Basically long-hair Rem [The Unforgiving Leviathan]  
Slyph [Air] Basically Hinata Hyuga with silver hair [The Limitless Zephyr]  
Gnome [Earth] Basically 02 but with blonde hair [The Titan of the West]

 **[Active]**  
Automata [Metal] Basically 2B but with silvery gray hair [The Silent Lover]  
Raiju [Lightning] Basically Sinon with electric blue hair + eyes [The Raging Thunder Goddess]  
Jewel [Crystal] Basically Filo from Shield Hero but with teal hair; no wings [The Wealthy Child]  
Dunes [Sand] Basically Kurumi Tokisaki but a redhead. [The Timeless Belle Âme]  
Yuki [Ice] Basically Esdeath but less S [The Serendipity of Winter]  
Moku [Wood] Basically Wendy Corduroy [The Maiden who Speaks for the Trees]  
Golem [Lava] Basically Tifa Lockhart with streaks of orange and yellow [The Ineffable Inventor]

 **[Detained]**  
Toxin [Poison] Basically Spider-Gwen with lilac hair [The Sinister Delight]  
Flask [Glass] Basically Bea from Pokemon Sword/Shield [The Unbreakble Glass Cannon]  
Salt [Salt] Basically Aoi Asahina but with ash white hair [The Zest of Life]  
Hanabi [Gunpowder] Basically Megumin; yeah this one is a no brainer [The Mellifluous Firework]  
Olive [Oil] Basically Erica Blandelli with olive hair [The Willful Chef]

 **[Detainee's Wardens]**  
Seraph [Light] Basically Pnuema with golden hair [The Beloved One]  
Hallow [Darkness] Basically Tharja from Fire Emblem but a lot less mopey [The Doting Midnight]

Ciao,  
I am NRG

 **END OF TRANSMISSION**


	37. Chapter 35

**.  
Disclaimer**: we're in the fanfiction Endgame now.

 **Chapter 35**

Mewni Civil War:  
Darkness Falls

 **XxXxXxXxX**

* * *

 **gROVE sTYLE : bUTTERCUP'S gARDEN OF mADNESS**

Oblivion stared at the sky.  
He spun and roared at Buttercup with unadulterated shock and anger,

"YOU TAUGHT HIM THAT!?"  
"I DID NOT! HE SAW ME DO IT—ONCE!"

.

Darcy watched as Marco merely pointed the Traitor's Sword at her.

She scoffed at the frightening name

The next she knew she was flat on her back, the screams of Mewmans ringing in her ear.  
She tried to look up.

She blinked.

She could see her headless body lying away from her.

In fact, it seemed that Marco had sent hundreds of castle-cleaving slashes leaving one side of the castle practically open to the elements. And the damages extended well past the castle, it went as far as the horizon, destroying everything in its path.

"WHAT. THE. FUCK. JUST HAPPENED."

Commanding the stolen magic artifacts, she moved headless corpse and re-fused her head back together. She unsteadily stood up after she picked up the Misery Rose, the enraged Dark Knight head snapped to her, his eyes hollowed out, just empty sockets were her answer to her mere existence.

She crick her newly fused neck before she bent down and reattached her dismembered right arm, her Hell Crusader Armor had scarcely saved her from being made into mince meat from the Dark Knight's attack.

Still, Darcy was unperturbed, her insanity blocking any cohesive thought.  
Even as the maelstrom of consciousness cried out in fright and warning.

"Is this...all that the mighty Marco can muster?" Darcy taunted, the Elementals, Musica, Higgs and Hestia looked at the clone incredulously as they had sheltered the best they could,

"Pathetic."

Then vile green fire burst all over him.  
Fiery green orbs for eyes.  
His scar a poisonous green.

An inexplicable fear surged through her.  
Like nothing she had ever felt before...

"OH SHIT."

Darcy screamed at the top of her lungs,  
"FLY PRINCE CRAVEN! FLEE LIQUID! RUN FOR YOUR LIVES!"

Marco leveled the sword at her.

 **PeRiSh**

And everything in the castle went dark.  
The sky darkens as the citizen screamed in terror.  
Buttercup and Oblivion looked at the sky in alarm.  
The entire Mewni Dimension...began to fall apart.

Whilst everyone cried havoc, their world seemingly about to end, no one spared a moment to witness as the many moons of Mewni flickered, one flashed a sorrowful red.

The Blood Moon Goddess screaming in torment.  
Tumbling onto the floor and clawing and pulling on her red velvet hair and cloth covered body, lines of red tore across her flawless skin.

She screamed inhuman misery.  
Unable to express even a fraction of her divine despair.

 _NOOOOO!  
NOT LIKE THIS!  
NEVER LIKE THIS! WHY!?_

The wails of the Goddess fell upon deaf ears, no matter how much she grieved upon her bloody moon...

.

Terrified at the command and the raw display of power from the enraged Dark Knight, Craven and Liquid quickly break a window and scurry away leaving Darcy behind who stood completely rigid at the sight of Marco, his hollow eyes filled with blazing green, falling squarely on her...

"FINALLY! SOMEONE AS POWERFUL AS ME!" Darcy cackled with insanity contradicting how she truly felt; her hands trembling, the rattling of her armor audible to everyone still present.

"DON'T KID YOURSELF ABOMINATION!" a voice hissed.

Hestia tumbled in the darken room, her eyes wide with shock as Marco was engulfed in the Fell he despised, her appearance changed...

 _We gotta be careful; if something drastic happens to Father in the timelines we jump into we could also change...forever from it._

 _Yeah...Hestia, you're the universal constant...you're always the safest one to go into these timelines...don't lose yourself in there._

 _...I wont...I hope._

Hestia gritted her teeth feeling the change to her body, this had only happen a few times and they were all reversible as soon as she left...quickly.

Darcy paid Hestia no mind as she strutted forward, her eyes manic with perverse glee as she readied to do battle even as all her senses screamed to flee, to run far away from the avatar of death before her. She waved her left hand, fingertips glowing before her helm floated back to her and she hid her face behind it once more, to hide how frighten she was.

Marco bore his stare at her.  
Darcy slashed out the Misery Thorn viciously,

 **THORN STORM!**

Thousands of thorn spikes raced for him.  
Hestia readied to stop with an arc; to cry out to her father.

The spikes sizzled.  
Darcy blinked before she screamed as an arc came crashing into her, she clawed herself frantically as the corrosive emerald fire clung to her.

 **Death is too good for you.**  
"—!?"

Marco was on Darcy, grabbing her by the helm and crushing it, even deeper cracks showed and what was more frightening even more Fell fire burst from his being. Scorching everything it touched, consumed by an inferno—

Hestia swung hard, sending a splitting gale, obliterating the flames.  
Marco's murderous eyes snapped on her.

 **You dare—**  
"Of course I would!" Hestia snarled.

Darcy took the distraction made and jabbed the Misery Thorn repeatedly into Marco only to find the blade would melt to the hilt every time she tried after she regrew it. She screamed at Marco, the cacophony of psyches within her doing the same as she relentlessly stabbed at Marco, trying break his grip.

"GET OFF ME MARCO!" Darcy screamed hysterically; his response to her futile actions was merely kicking her head causing it to do a boneless spin.

Marco faced Hestia, Higgs, the Elementals and Musica.  
The Fell Flames spreading from him to all over the floor, burning the carpet, drapes, in no time the entire castle would be lit up like an inferno.

Without warning Marco was sent flying and crashing into the floor, everyone blinked at his sudden jettison before his body was pulled upright as if he was some demented puppet.

Darcy stood up, using Primordial magic from her left hand to vaporize the Fell Flames, she violently spat at the Dark Knight,

"Fuck youuu, Marco." Darcy hissed as she quelled the chaotic magic, fixing her cracked helm as the two faced off again.

Hestia slyly pulled out her phone again to assess what the situati—

"AND GOES THE SAME FOR YOU!"

Hestia saw Darcy flashed her disfigured left hand at her; the twisting magic racing for her, it would be easy to

She winced.

Feeling the tendril tattoos surge through her arm, the momentary pain blinded her enough for the blast of magic to blow her phone to pieces before she could react.

"YOU DAMN—URK!" Hestia spun away avoiding the more magical blasts as Darcy fired with reckless abandon, some of which Marco bounced off with his sword. Hestia and the Elementals scattered to flee the dangerous magical rays and the Fell Flames that continued to spread despite Hestia blowing them out.

Hestia tried to pull the Concept to safety.  
However Musica merely stood there...  
Gazing into the darken sky...twisting abyss...  
And a slasher smile spread across her pale face.

"MUSICA!"  
 _Get over here—ACK!_

Hestia blocked a blast of magic before grabbing Automata and hid alongside Higgs, who cowered behind the column, tears running down her face as she clutched FrostFlame against her frame.

"OfmygodMarcowhatwhatwhywhathappenedthePrincessshes—"  
"Higgs! HIGGS! You need to get out of—!"  
"FOUND YOU~!"

The three of them saw Darcy skid across the floor, her magic bouncing off Marco and backfiring on her.

Hestia pulled Higgs back as Darcy sent another blast at them with so much force that it propelled her to roll backwards and end up on her feet. Marco not seeing where Darcy had ended up in the darken castle leveled the sword again and Hestia felt her own Parallel Traitor's Sword grow so heavy to hurt to grasp it.

 _Marco, he intends to unmake the entire—!_

Somewhere in Hestia's panicked mind, she heard her younger self speak… _  
_  
 _"Mama, how strong is Papa?"  
"Very strong, darling, so very strong; sometimes too strong for his own good..."_

 _Hekapoo gave her a sad smile her eyes matching them as well as she brushed her hair._

Hestia's heart shot to her throat.  
Even Darcy in her demented insanity felt it too and became rigid with fear.

Marco intended to bring about the destruction of the Mewni and everything in it.

The sword violently shake, drooling and growing out razor sharp teeth, Hestia swore she saw a tongue slither between the jagged points, Marco opened his maw ready to declare his deathly intentions

 **ABSOLUTIO**

All reservation went out of the window as Hestia threw herself upon him, using her own Parallel Traitor Sword to force the sword downwards to the floor. His hollow eyes bore into her own, her orange eyes welled with hot tears.

Marco swatted her across the castle.  
The Elementals quickly rushed in to

Fly across the castle too.  
Marco's eyes burned with furious green.

Picking themselves up, they used their powers to bind Marco.

Ice froze his feet. Sand wrapped around his waist. Metal kept his arm from leveling the sword. Crystal

Anyone who wasn't stricken with fear were ready to downright faint at the sight of a skull figure suddenly appearing behind Marco, its right eye empty but its left had a murderous flame lingering in the socket.

 _What the—!?  
Huh!?_

Without warning it flexed its massive arms and whatever restraints the Elementals had imposed were suddenly broken apart. The display of raw power made them pale, Jewel tear stricken stumbled back, Musica not watching anything but the sky grabbed her face and laughed manically; adding to the frightening atmosphere.

Hestia roused herself from the floor, feeling a wave of dread suffocating everything around her.

"...no, what is that…?" Hestia wiped the blood from her nose, seeing the skull figure draped behind her father, she snarled and raised her sword even as it grew heavier by the second.

Hestia buckled as the sword felt like a ton in her hands, the Time Cop roared at the top of her lungs, startling the Elementals before she shot at him like a bullet, slamming the sword upwards.

Hestia bared her teeth as Marco looked down at her impassively.  
The skull figure gazed down on her and reached for her head, easily dwarfing it.

 _YOU STAY AWAY FROM HER!  
YOU—YOU'RE NOT MARCO!_

The Elementals slammed into Marco, wincing and writhing as the Fell Flames came out in full force, they shrieked as the flames seared their flesh, Hestia saw this and quickly yelled, "Get away! If you don't you'll—"

 _HE'LL KILL YOU!_

Hestia buckled as Marco began to fight back, forcing the sword down, the skull figure changing targets and slamming its fists into the Elementals. They rose up again and tried to restrain Marco no matter how much the figure battered them, Automata skillfully slid underneath Marco's sword arm and kept him from leveling the sword with the help of steel beams supporting her.

It was short lived.

Automata screamed as Marco's arm erupted in flames, melting the beams and what's more, locked her in place as he drove her into the floor.

Hestia gritted her teeth as Marco continued in his intended path for destruction, hearing the Elementals cry out in agony, writhing in pain as the Fell Flames scar them made her heart ache.

"Marco, no! Stop!" Hestia yelled as Marco increased the pressure, his sword nearly leveling. The Elementals screamed, crying and begging Marco to stop as they flung themselves into the emerald inferno trying in any way to stop the madden Dark Knight, no matter how futile.

 _MARCO, YOU'RE HURTING AUTOMATA!  
JEWEL'S CRYING BECAUSE OF YOU!  
IT BURNS, MARCO!_

Hestia looked at Marco's darken face, her thoughts racing,  
 _…all this...for her, Father? You'd kill this dimension...with everyone in it...over her?  
Why?_

Hestia gritted her teeth, her eyes flashing blue before she roared at him, her fire flaring,

 **FLAME VALKYRIE!**

Her bright flames brilliantly lit up the dark castle, the skull figure flinched before it seeped back into Marco.

Hestia sighed in relief

"URGK!?"

The skull figure's fist came flying out of Marco's gut and rammed itself into her own gut, lifting her off her feet before Marco's left hand caught her throat, the blow dispelling her Flame Valkyrie. The Elementals screamed at the sight but for all their outrage the Fell Flame flared out, sending them flying from the two.

Marco poised the Traitor's Sword for her heart.  
Hestia's eyes shot wide open.  
 _He—his own—!_

"M-Marco!" Hestia struggled, her eyes wide as Marco stared on blankly, it was if he wasn't there at all…

 _Papa, please!_

"This isn't you—urk!" Hestia felt the grip tighten, tears dripped down her face, she could have kicked him, break his arm, but...she saw past his hollow eyes—there she could see his soul entrenched in his pain, his anger, his misery...

She was like that...until he came and saved her.  
She couldn't stand to see the man who would be her Father in total despair like this.  
She shut her eyes unwilling to witness what would happen next...

"WHY MARCO DIAZ!? WHY DESTROY THE WORLD OVER HER!?"

 ** _because all he has ever done the blood on his hands the death of dearest friends years toiled in misery with the smallest glimmer of hope at the end was all for naught Awry And Abandon_**

Hestia's eyes snapped open at the deathly whisper, the skull figure bore down on her, its eye burning a hateful green.

Hestia felt her gut curdle knowing—she was the only one who heard it speak.  
It's pale hands reached for her, Hestia felt hot tears stream down her face at the sight of it and cried out

 _/SHUT UP! I CAN'T MOURN WITH ALL OF YOU SQUEALING!/_

Musica bellowed, her eyes wild as she inhaled and sang out, her vocal cords shredded at the sheer volume,

 _You are my sunshine, my only sunshine  
You make me happy when skies are grey  
You'll never know, dear, how much I love you  
Please don't take my sunshine away_

Hestia winced at the enraged Concept, hot tears finally spilling down her face and landing onto Marco's eyes. Without warning the skull figure balked, as if it was struck and clawed at the air as it was sucked into Marco's being; he shook and stumbled back letting Hestia free.

He touched his face and looked around wildly as if confounded.  
Hestia coughed, rubbing her bruised neck.  
His eyes darting side to side at the darken castle.

His mind in a total whirl as the Fell was push violently back, the Fallen Dark Knight stood rigid from the depths of Marco's Mindscape, sensing a new presence, **_close_... _so succulently close..._**

"W-what? What happened—!?"

Marco grunted as Darcy blasted him with her magic.  
She looked murderous.  
She growled and snarled at the sight of the recovering Marco, more confused what had happened than being attacked by the clone.

"Where did he go!?  
WHERE DID THAT BLOODED MARCO GO!?  
ANSWER ME!"

Marco huffed as he recovered from the hit, watching as the Fell Flames die out and the castle lighten up revealing the unconscious King, Queen, the trembling Higgs, a girl with inky black hair, the destroyed room, Darcy…

And a fallen Star.  
She clutched her wound weakly.

Marco felt his hair bristle, his emotions raging forth.  
His memory of what she had done coming back vividly.

"HE'S RIGHT HERE!" he called his sword as he ran straight for Darcy even as she did the same, her left hand radiating with magic; his right hand soon covered in tendril tattoos like Hestia's.

Marco brought the Traitor's Sword crashing down only to find that Darcy had seemingly dodged his emotion-fueled attack despite being weighed down by the ruined Hell Crusader Armor.

"EAT MAGIC DIAZ!"  
She opened her left hand and blasts him with magic.

Marco threw the Traitor's Sword cleaving through the magical blast forcing her to sidestep.

"FROSTFLAME!"  
Marco recalled his twisted sword and let loose a wicked twister of flaming ice, Darcy readied to leap away again only to find her feet frozen to the floor, her eyes traced a thin icy trail to the Ice Elemental, Yuki glaring at her.

"MARCOOO!" Darcy screeched as she exited through the castle wall.

Marco wanted nothing more to deal with Darcy once and for all but...  
He spit at the hole that Darcy made as he raced back to Star, she whimpered as the wound profusely bled, making a bloody puddle.

"Star! Star, it's alright." Marco pressed a hand on the wound, his touch made her ache despite how gentle he was, he called his sword with his other hand and pointed it above his hand, "It'll close, Star, you'll be fine!"

Marco said louder than he intended.  
Star looked at him weakly, knowing it was more for himself than her...

"Marco..." Star whispered weakly, Marco's face drained with color as the wound continued to bleed, "...it's okay...it's okay..."

"IT'S NOT OKAY, STAR!" Marco yelled in anguished, Star gulped drily, her breathing labored, "THIS SWORD—IT DID THIS TO YOU! IT'S SUPPOSE TO DO ANYTHING! SO WHY ISN'T FIXING THE WOUND IT GAVE YOU FROM DARCY!?"

Amongst Marco's lamentations, Hestia helped the Elementals to their feet, many of them dreadfully hurt from the Fell Flames. Higgs tentatively helped, unsure if she should be doing so in the first place, she looked at the unconscious Moon and River, surprised they hadn't woken up during the commotion and spared from being trampled upon.

Moku, Raiju and Golem glared at Marco.  
Yuki comforted Jewel.  
Dunes quietly licked her wounds.  
Hestia held onto Automata, sensing her weak stance, the Diaz child looked at all of them before she tried to apologize, hoping to

 _Save it, lass...you don't have to apologize for a thing.  
Least of all you...  
On the other hand...Marco, that bastard..._

Hestia felt the frigid edge in Yuki's words.  
The Elementals gave Marco a dark look.

"I know it's not my place nor should I be the one to say it...but still I..."

She looked at Automata, she was looking over her burn marks, Hestia tried to heal her with her golden flames but to no avail.  
The marking looked so unnatural on the Elemental.

"It'll heal." Hestia said firmly, the Elemental smiled at her words.  
 _No, it won't.  
_

Hestia just stood there.  
Completely blindsided at the remark.  
Automata gestured for her sisters and they gathered around her.

Before Hestia could realize what was going on, they had scoot a lot closer for her liking.  
Hestia tiptoe back, they were looking at her critically causing her to sweat.

 _...you know who we are...don't you?  
Who are you exactly?_

Hestia bit her lip, if her phone was still operational she could slyly get past this conversation without raising any suspicions but now...

"I'm...I'm Hestia, just your wandering pyromancer vagabond." she said, the Elementals merely stared at her.

 _Whatever you're hiding, Hestia...I hope its worth it.  
"...if you only knew."_ Hestia thought to herself.

"Don't hate Marco, I'm sure he'll explain himself..."  
 _If we don't kill him first that is._  
"Hmph, you wont." Hestia said only to nervously add, "I hope."

Hestia turned back to her father as he grieved at the bleak and sure fate of Star Butterfly, she glanced at the Elementals seeing they were more than happy to let her approach him. Musica didn't even spare her nor Marco a glance as she stared out to the window, watching the sky turn back to normal...it pissed her off greatly.

It no longer matched how she felt.  
She blamed Marco without hesitation.

Hestia saw Higgs scurry over to the Butterfly Queen and King, pulling them away from anymore danger like the floor coming apart or what have you lurking about. She felt Hestia's gaze on her and glanced back, her eyes darted to Marco before downwards and continued to pull the two royals to a more secure spot.

Hestia stood there for a moment, knowing she was the only one willing and thereby elected to comfort Marco. She unconsciously grabbed a handful of her hoodie and twisted it painfully.

The pyromancer slowly walked over to the grieving knight, she looked out of the massive hole in the castle the citizens scurrying around at the damages they had suffered, she could see a path leading out of the kingdom. Likely the path Liquid and Craven had taken and Darcy as well if she knew what's good for her.

She stood behind Marco, his hand still pressed on Star's wound, the princess was deathly pale, blinking ever so slowly.

Hestia took a step forward.

"Marco..." Hestia started, she wanted to say something comforting...  
"...why did this have to happen."

Hestia masked her discomfort, it was pointless anyways, Marco couldn't even see her face his back turned to her.

"Marco, do you remember anything—anything before Darcy blasted you with magic? Before you sent her flying?"  
"...what? Why is that what you're asking—that's not important!"  
"It is important." Hestia said firmly, "I know you're hurt, Marco, but—"

Hestia instinctively stopped, Marco's head turned enough to show his eye.  
She squeezed her fist and stepped closer, her inky black hair framing her face, "You're not the only one hurt right now Marco...Higgs put her life on the line for you and Star, the Elementals suffered for you...I'm here because of you. I'm not belittling your pain, not degrading or saying you're NOT hurting...right now you don't see _us_ because of Star, but once...when you're ready please see them because they are hurting, too."

Marco said nothing.

He turned back to Star who was looking past him and blinked slowly, as if trying to commit the image of Hestia into memory.

"...who is that girl?"  
"She was the one that helped fight Darcy."

Star looked at Marco, her eyes barely open but Hestia knew what she meant, she moved closer, putting a hand on Marco's shoulder.

"I am Hestia: knight of _questionable_ renown."

Star giggled at her introduction before she spasm in pain, Marco fretted over her and Hestia deflated that she caused her pain.

"You—"  
"Marco. Before you were yourself again, you nearly destroyed this castle and came so close—so close to killing everyone here."  
"I wouldn't—"  
"You used the Fell, Marco." Hestia whispered, Marco froze, "You used your sword and nearly bled this dimension, you were ready to kill everyone in Mewni, ready to commit them to death."

Marco looked at Hestia. His eyes narrowed.  
"Prove—"  
"You don't even remember choking me or burning the Elementals, you used PERISH and nearly used ABSOLUTION, you know what those does...don't you."

Marco's jaw tensed, his eyes wide.

"I...I wouldn't."  
"But you did. If you didn't stop then—I shudder at the thought."

Marco looked down, his hand holding Star's.  
He brought it to his cheek, feeling the weakening pulse.  
And despair.

Again Hestia saw her father wallow in his sadness.  
This time he didn't even realize that he nearly killed everyone.  
She saw how his sagging shoulders, his body language just exudes his tiredness, his limit already reached with all that has happened since he returned to Mewni.

Hestia closed her eyes for a moment.  
He came to Mewni to set things right—now he can't ever do it.  
 _  
"There has to be just some happiness he can glean from this..."_

Hestia opened her eyes.  
Making her decision.  
She gently shook Marco, he turned back to look at her, tears dribbling down.

"Marco," Hestia gently tucked her black hair behind her softly pointed ears, "I'm your—"

 _/Not so fast./_

Hestia felt disjointed as she felt a temporal shockwave hit her, she looked wildly around.  
Everyone was frozen in Time.

She slowly turned back to see Chronos exit out of Marco and stood before her, her eyes hard on her.

The Concept glanced at Musica at the corner before she focused on her, the Diaz child took her hand off Marco and stood up to full height.

 _/Hello. Niece./_

 **XxXxXxXxX**

* * *

Oof.  
So much to unload.

Marco can't just catch a break with his life.  
Mewni truly is a place of tragedies for him, enough to even unleash his dark side upon the dimension.

This chapter had some new additions to it from the 'original' chapter it was spawned from.  
Marco in this chapter may be somewhat flippant but he has no recollection of what had happened.  
His memory basically start from watching Darcy stab Star then immediately to Darcy blasting him with magic.  
He is suppose to come of as 'flippant'. Of course, those who witnessed everything sees him as a total ass hat.

Now, its the fated confrontation between Hestia and Chronos.  
And some avid readers already know their dynamic.

This time it's going to be a tad more in-depth.

Songs in order of appearance:

Johnny Cash : You are my Sunshine

Ciao,  
I am NRG

 **END OF TRANSMISSION**


	38. Chapter 36

**.  
Disclaimer**: we're in the fanfiction Endgame now.

 **Chapter 36**

The Concept of Time : Chronos  
versus  
The Universal Child of Destiny : Hestia Diaz

 **XxXxXxXxX**

* * *

Hestia gazed upon her.  
The Concept of Time: Chronos.  
A being of unimaginable power.

And her aunt.

Chronos looked at her for a moment, as if trying to decipher who she was.  
Hestia merely waited, knowing Time would sync with the Concept eventually.  
Bits of it already caught up, especially since she called her niece.

So there is no reason to bring her up to speed.  
She would do it herself anyways, all their previous conversations would be tallied...

Hestia calmly waited as she circled her, she felt strands of her now black silky hair picked up and dropped, she could hear the Concept's discontent.

Chronos stood before her again.  
Gazing down on the smaller female.

 _/You're...Hestia...yes, I did call you 'niece'. Strange. Very strange./_  
The Concept muttered to herself, looking a bit thoughtful.

Hestia slowly closed her eyes at the utterance.  
How many times did she hear that as a child?  
Countless of times and not just to her, her Sisters as well...  
No malice, no sarcasm, just love.  
Always.

Her fearsome oranges eyes revealed itself.

"Don't go calling me that." Hestia said flatly.  
The Concept raised a brow.  
"You lost that privilege; as you can _recall_!" she hissed.

The Concept blinked at the sudden change in demeanor.

 _/?/_  
"Don't play games with me: I know you can. You've told me ages ago." Hestia said coldly.

Chronos blinked.  
Seemingly her head began to violently thrash on her shoulder, afterimage superimposed on afterimages.  
Then it stopped.

Hestia stiffens, knowing very well this Chronos was different from the one a moment ago.  
She glanced over to Musica who still gazed upon the sky.  
Uncaring.

Hestia watched as Chronos raise her head slowly, hair parting from her face.  
Her impassive face.  
She wasn't fooled though: that was Auntie Chronos's patented pissed off face.

 _/I see. You've been busy. Well, you and your siblings./_  
Chronos looked at Hestia, waiting for a response.  
She stubbornly stayed silent.

 _/And you must know the rules too. That Chronos told you. Technically: I TOLD YOU./_  
"I haven't forgotten—Auntie Chronos." Hestia emphasis the last part snidely.  
 _/And you lost the privilege to call me that./_

Concept of Time and Time Cop glared coldly at each other.  
The former lifting her chin slightly, to give the infamous 'Pathetic' atmosphere.

 _/You shouldn't be here in the first place, Hestia./_  
"Aha! That's rich!" Hestia sneered, "I've entered Timelines—"  
 _/When you shouldn't have./_ Chronos snapped, Hestia scowled, _/I've told you countless times to NOT meddle. The Fates of those in the Timeline isn't your business. I do no care for your reason nor your feelings on the matter. And stop calling yourself a 'Time Cop', what is that even suppose to mean? You don't even follow the 'law'! If anything you break it more than those you deem as 'criminals'!/_

Hestia brought herself to full height which wasn't much but all the same she glared at the Concept.  
"You don't fool me. No matter how cold you say it, I know—"  
 _/How dare you./_

Hestia hesitated sensing the change in tone from Chronos.  
The Concept clenched her fists, her scowl deep on her face.

 _/We've had this conversation countless of times./_ Chronos jabbed a finger on Hestia's chest, her eyes traveling to her now black hair, she shook head, tossing her voluminous hair.  
 _  
/When will it get through your thick skull that the more you interfere the more you goad Fate to strike you down./_  
"I don't care—"  
 _/I CARE!/_ Chronos yelled at her, Hestia's eyes widen as the Concept's hair bristle as her eyes radiated with such brilliance and tears. The Concept looked angrily at her, Hestia pursed her lips at the declaration, hating the fact how guilty she felt whenever the two talked now, unlike before in her childhood.

 _/Hestia, what are you trying to do breaking into other Timelines? It is not your place to do so!/_  
"Who will repair the damage that Mother and Father caused from their bickering?"

Chronos looked at her gravely, _  
/What's done is done./_  
"I can't accept that! I will not! That is a stain on my family's honor! I don't care how long it takes, I will not have countless lives lost when I could have prevented it!"

Chronos closed her eyes and quietly shook her head,  
 _/It's Fate, Hestia...let it go./_

Hestia's face contorted with rage, her long hair catching fire,  
"I. WILL. NOT. You saw what happened...my world, my timeline would have been destroyed if Father didn't come and save me. I will not let my other selves and siblings die screaming at the face of oblivion, not knowing why. I resent that. I hate that. No one should be subjugated to it."

The Concept eyed her softly, Hestia stood rigid at her words.  
 _/...you're too kind for your own good, Hestia…_  
 _That is why I can never trust you to do what must be done./_  
"Would you have let my Timeline perish." She demanded.

Chronos looked her dead in the eye.  
 _/You don't want to hear the answer, niece./_  
"..."

Hestia glared, straight back and proud; just like her father.  
The Concept regarded her softly.  
Her eyes flick to Marco, his eyes looking still at Hestia, still oblivious to what she would have told her...

 _/I am warning you: do not interfere./_  
"You can't stop me."

 _/Oh. Is that a fact?/_  
"Indeed..."

Hestia called forth her sword, while Chronos merely walked away from the still beings, only Musica was unaffected by it.

The Parallel Traitor's Sword gleamed hungrily, the Concept called forth her weapon,

 _/Come to me: Equinox!/_

Hestia dropped to a stance and shot at Chronos, she mirrored her niece.  
It only took a moment for the fight to be decided...  
Chronos crashed into the floor, her sword broken apart at the point of contact.

Hestia did not waste time and spun, flinging her sword, only to have Chronos rewind herself back where she had been previously, without her sword. Hestia was introduced to her aunt's fist and sent flying.

"Urk...I hate that!" Hestia rubbed her sore cheek as Chronos wagged her hand, as if trying to alleviate the pain, "Grrr, Ice Brand!"

Chronos glanced down and saw the floor completely frozen including her feet, Hestia rolled to her feet and raced after the Concept as she easily broke the icing on her and leapt away from the Diaz child. Hestia recalled the sword as Chronos called forth another Equinox sword, jamming it into the icy floor and balancing on the pommel.

Chronos quietly surveyed the area.  
She simply snapped her fingers and the ice receded.  
It was as if it was never there.

"Oh, enough of this shit!" Hestia let the fire circle her, eyes flashing blue.

 **FLAME VALYRIE!**

Hestia gritted her teeth, seeing Chronos nonchalantly hop off her sword and faced her despite the obvious increase in danger she had become; she was so impassive it was as if she knew she would win. She need not try.

Hestia rocket forth, throwing Fire Darts as Chronos unscrew the pommel of her sword and chucked it at her, smashing the darts easily. Hestia ducked her head but kept her eye on the Concept as she roared,

 **"Breath of the Sun: Vermillion Cascading Wave!"**

She swung her sword, encircling her before a ring of fire flared out.  
Chronos pulled her sword to guard buffering through the blast as Hestia bore down on her.  
Hestia's blue eyes were hard, the Concept didn't share the same intensity, she quickly sidestep as the Parallel Traitor's Sword sailed across the room.

Hestia blinked.  
Before she realized a pommel struck her in the bridge of the nose and she shrieked in pain.  
Eyes watering, Hestia blinked tearfully seeing the sword in the wall while she was back where she had started...

Chronos sent her back in Time...but not the sword.

 _Why can't she—!?_

Chronos appeared before her and pulled her tattooed arm, she looked down at her sternly,  
 _/As you can see Hestia, the distance between you and myself is vast, we can do this all day...all eternity and you won't win. Quit this insolence./_

Hestia glared at Chronos, her face and words did not match how softly she said it...how sad she said it...

"I—" Hestia's flames flared.  
 _/Enough, Hestia—urk!/_

Without warning, Chronos was launched from Hestia slamming into a pillar.  
The Concept blinked, realizing she was struck but that wasn't what made her pause,  
 _/I...I didn't see that coming./_

Chronos saw Hestia looked over her shoulder frighten,  
"WHAT THE HECK IS THAT!?"

 _/...Hestia?/_  
"Eek!"

Chronos only saw Hestia cowering, her Flame Valkyrie form all over her: a crown of fire, wings of flames and blazing blue eyes.  
Nothing out of the ordinary.

 _/Hestia, what are you afraid of?/_  
"You can't see it!?"  
 _/What am I suppose to see?/_  
"This—thing! It's like Dad's! It punched the Elementals and me! It punched you when you grabbed my arm!"

Chronos patted her cheek a moment before she moved closer, Hestia's eyes roved to shoulder, the Concept looked at the flames noticing nothing amiss.

"Move back!"

Chronos did so before the floor she was on turned into a flaming crater.  
She balked at the sight from a crouch.

"You're too close!"  
 _/What the heck! What's attacking me, is it invisible?/_ Chronos saw Hestia crying as she hugged herself, _/Are you alright, Hestia? Why can't I see it...is it controlling you?/_  
"No, I think...it's protecting me. Why can't you see it? Why do I and Dad have it?"

 _/What does it look like?/_ Chronos said soothingly, hoping to keep Hestia from freaking out further, she nervously looked over her shoulder.

"...it has the same wings as me, but it's covered in armor, really, really elegant armor. I...I think it's a person."  
 _/And your Father's?/_  
"Y-you know, it was all buff, had a skull face kinda like the one he uses and was sort of on fire, but in only one eye."  
 _/Huh. I can imagine that./_  
"I know, right?"

The two giggled.  
As abruptly as it started, it stopped.  
Hestia glanced back several times as Chronos just quietly observed her.  
Whenever they crossed paths they always end up fighting...  
It always wore on her.

 _/Hestia...whatever it is...it's part of you, I don't think you should be afraid of it. I mean if Marco had it then it can be all that dangerous...yet./_

Chronos thought to herself, _what in the world is this thing...it feels...unnatural. And that's putting it mildly...when in the Timeline..._

 _/Hestia, this fighting is over. I don't want to fight any longer and with that...thing standing by you like that, I'm liable to hurt you./_  
"...I could too."  
 _/Yes...yes, I suppose you could./_ Chronos sighed, she looked at Hestia concerned, _/Look Hestia—/_  
"Auntie Chronos, why did you stop coming to the house? I know Dad said something to you all...is this about Seraph and Marcus?"  
 _/Your brother? A little, she did decide Marcus would be raised in Prima. Thought it would be better for him./_  
"Heh, well, I never saw Mom get that angry before. She went nuclear in Prima, nearly cleared out the entire place!"

Hestia laughed, showing her youthfulness still.  
Still a child.  
Chronos ruefully shook her head, not sharing the mirth.

 _/Not even./_ Chronos said drily, _/She did clear out the Capital though. That was one heck of a crater. But no. Hestia, I've told you before: you keep meddling. You have to let the Timelines correct itself. I know it's difficult, but you have to. The more you fight, the more you tempt Fate to intervene./_  
"I can't, you don't understand..."  
 _/Hestia...all the Chronos you have spoken to the past, I remember the conversations, because for all intents and purposes: I was the one you spoke to. And I do understand, Hestia. Because in every Timeline you stepped in, you realized that it could have been yours, but instead you have the one you have. The one you deem the happiest.../_  
"It is." Hestia firmly pouted, she glanced back and made shooing motions, Chronos sighed no doubt her new friend was sharing her mood.

 _/Your Father forbade us from interacting with you all. Ignis, was the usual culprit to break that promise.../_  
"...where is Auntie Ignis? You have always dodged that question."  
 _/You bet I'm going to dodge the question, Hestia. Because I honestly think you would not benefit from it at all. I'd rather talk about this imaginary thing that stands around you and indiscriminately punches people around you. You better get it under control./_  
"...where is Auntie Ignis."

Chronos stood up.  
 _/This discussion is over, Hestia. Do as I say: stop intervening in the Timelines, go back home./_  
"What home is there to go back to..." Hestia replied bitterly, "You're not there...Mom and Dad are gone...even my half siblings...they are all gone. I can't just go about my life thinking that this is okay!"  
 _/I will not mollycoddle you, Hestia. You've repeatedly gone to Timeline after Timeline...haven't you had your fill of seeing Marco and Hekapoo? You've spent years in Timelines, watching your parent's fall in love, your sibling too...so what are you truly after?/_

Hestia was silent for a whole minute, Chronos could see that she was mustering all she wanted to say,  
"I _want_ to fix the damages caused by Mother and Father its just the right thing to do, no one else can but me and my siblings. I want my siblings to see their parents, especially Sunflower who is still a child and never got to know them; there are Timelines where they never had more than me, Marcus would pop up eventually but the rest...aren't so lucky. And I especially want to know why Father forbid you all from seeing us. Somewhere in the vast Timeline...he has done—again."

Chronos's eyes fell on her.  
 _/Hestia. If you continue on this road, it will not end well for you. Do not defy me./_

Hestia got unsteadily on her feet, looking over her shoulder again.  
"Then tell me why Dad forbid you from seeing us...I know, he's...gone but what could possibly hold up that promise? If you tell me why then when I'm done fixing the Timeline damages, I would have less of a reason to continue."

 _/Or you can just listen to me./_

Hestia frowned.

"Or I can choose not to."  
 _/You really are a stubborn little girl, Hestia./_

Hestia called her sword back, she gripped it tighter as she leveled it at Chronos, the Concept pointed a finger at her.

"Breath of the Sun: Unbelievably Fast Body Flicker!" Hestia vanished, Chronos immediately roared,

SUMMER SOLSTICE!

Hestia reappeared just as she reached the Concept, she gritted her teeth and flung the sword, forcing Chronos to duck before she warped to it. In Chronos's mind eye she could already imagine the flaming crater that Hestia's imaginary friend would put in the back of her head.

TIME DYSTOPIA!*

Chronos rolled forward, the flooring exploded, just as she expected.  
Whatever power Hestia had awakened, it was incredibly powerful.

The Concept grunted as she was sent skidding on the floor.  
Musica chuckled.

Chronos wiped her hair from her face and glared at her sister.  
The other Concept shrugged before she nodded to Hestia, frozen in Time however she was gripping the sword with both hands: there was no way she made the crater and struck Chronos in the brief moment of window.

 _/Look at her face, Sister./_  
 _/...is this telepathy?/_  
 _/Hardly. I think she's telling the truth, only she can see whatever has been helping her. She said that Marco had it too...could be hereditary./_  
 _/Marco never displayed this kind of power before.../_  
 _/Could be unique to this Timeline./_  
 _/...that's the word I would use, huh./_

Musica snickered.  
Chronos moved closer to Hestia observing the crater then her.  
She moved closer and reached over, as if expecting to find something invisible and solid.

Nothing.

Chronos stared at Hestia for a long time.  
She gently caressed her face, even if it was contorted in battle anger.

 _/She's a lot like you./_  
 _/And you, too./_  
 _/But she holds too much of a grudge. She is upset with you the most./_  
 _/And you're far too old to be holding a grudge like this, Musica./_

Chronos didn't bother sparing her Sister a glance.  
Her tone of voice said it all.

 _/Oh, did your boyfriend die today?/_  
 _/You're pain and loss is not forgotten, least of all me...but you know the outcome regardless./_

Musica scoffed and coldly turned away.  
 _/Why, Chronos? Why'd it come to this? My poor innocent Monster Arm.../_  
 _/Hardly even innocent!/_ Chronos exclaimed, _/And if things had played out, you would have killed it yourself, would that not make it more painful?/_  
 _/Better dead upon my warm large bosom than magic from the witch Butterfly./_  
 _/I cannot fathom how you came to love it./_ Chronos replied in disbelief, Musica shot her a look.  
 _/If you just knew an iota of the depths of my loss and despair, Sister, oh you would shudder to even breath...if you ever fell in love you would know./_  
 _/...you dare assume I did not love—!/_

Musica paled slightly as Chronos thundered her words at the accusation.  
Chronos inhaled sharply and exhaled rather loudly, unbecoming of a lady.  
Her temper was sorely tested today.

 _/Shouldn't you unfreeze our darling_ niece _, Sister?/_  
 _/...we will have this conversation; later./_  
 _/Any Time./_  
 _/...don't./_

Chronos walked to Hestia.  
Plucked the sword out of her hand.  
Then punched her in the gut.

Musica walked forward.  
Chronos gave her a look,  
 _/No. She's already getting disciplined./_  
 _/Oh, this isn't for discipline: this is for being a brat./_  
 _/NO./_ Chronos delivered a karate chop right on top of her sister's head, sending her a floor down.

Chronos didn't bother to see if Musica was alright and moved time forward.  
Hestia made a face akin to unexpected explosive diarrhea and an angry sneeze.

"OH FUCK! WHY?"  
 _/Language niece./_

Hestia fetal position on the floor whilst Chronos shook her head.  
It took her a hot minute and some very slow but deep belly breathing before she could stand up and glare at her aunt.

She tried to summon her sword but the look from the Concept made her stop.

"No fair you—"  
 _/Really, Hestia, you're going to use that excuse./_

 _/Exactly./_ Chronos rubbed her temples, _/Hestia, there are many things I wish to speak to you about but you need to stop trying to fight me. How many times have you tried this foolishness./_  
"Hundreds of times."  
 _/By the Concepts, Hestia, you are giving me an aneurism./_ Chronos groaned.

"...you're going to say I shouldn't tell Marco I'm his future daughter with Hekapoo, right? Because then I would be influencing the Timeline unjustly."  
 _/That's right. You shouldn't be coaxing your parents to conceive you. That is so many levels of wrong. The first time you didn't know any better, but other times I caught you—ugh./_

Chronos held out the sword, Hestia silently summoned it back.  
Re-sheathing it and looking dejected.

"..."  
 _/Hestia, you can't tell Marco you're his daughter, you can't keep messing with the Timelines, promise me once this ordeal is over...you will go back to your own. You have had enough Timeline jumping to justify your crude namesake. If you want to right the Timelines, you can from your own./_  
"How can I?"  
 _/...come to Prima...and I'll tell you. I'll tell you everything you want to know. But be assured Hestia, you'll hear and know things you desperately want—and don't want. That is my promise to you, if you stop your 'Time Cop' business./_  
"You'd break Father's promise?"  
 _/...it was broken a long time ago. I held it up because Marco means so much to me, Musica, my Sisters and especially...no, I say we all have the same amount of love for him./_  
"But what about my, er, new friend?"  
 _/So long it doesn't sock anyone, I don't see anything wrong with it, even if I can't see it. In time you'll learn to control it...cause problems again. The same old tired cycle you keep perpetuating./_  
"I learned from the best: you."

Chronos gave her a withering glare.  
A lesser child would have looked down, shamefaced.  
Hestia stood proudly, puffing her chest.  
Her aunt couldn't help but sigh in disappointment.

 _/You got everything from your parents./_ "Sure did~!"  
 _/Hah. Okay. But I guess bust size was not included. Sold separately./_ "HEY!"

Chronos smiled even as Hestia tried to look angry.  
The former then adopted a somber look.

 _/Remember Hestia, our promise: no more meddling. This will be the last of your Time Cop fun._  
 _Go back. I know you think there's no more good you can do there, that's why you run to the past, but you can; you know you can./_

Hestia clenched her jaw.  
Chronos looked at her for a moment before quickly ruffling her hair, it changed back to her usual red bushy hair before she slapped the hand just as she let Time forward once again. Changing it back to silky black and wavy.

HARMONY OF TIME**

* * *

Marco looked at Hestia or rather where she had stood before: behind him.  
He found her to be standing alongside a timeless beauty, he realized that Chronos was there as well.  
He blinked in confusion how the Concept parted his body without his knowledge.  
Her Sisters were of the same impression but they kept their distance and stoic faces.

But she was exactly the Concept he need right now, his eyes driving deep into the Concept,

"Chronos! I can't stop the bleeding!"  
/Of course not; that's a wound wrought by the Pendragon Sword.  
It won't ever heal. You know that./

Chronos replied almost matter-of-factly.  
Marco stared at her.

"I don't care!" Marco roared, the Concept frowned, "Use your powers to turn back the flow of Time! Then she—"  
/You think—you honestly think that can be done?!/ Chronos snapped, she walked over and turn her hand over Star, many Time glyphs appeared and spun backwards, Marco watched.

And watched.  
As the glyphs did nothing.

/That sword Marco: plays for keeps. I can not undo what it has done. I am not _that_ powerful./  
Chronos said quietly as she pulled her hand back, cradling it upon her bosom.

Marco's eyes darted to Musica.  
Nowhere to be found.  
He looked around aghast.

/She's can't help either Marco./  
"How would you—"  
/Believe me: Musica is powerful beyond _reckoning_. But that sword is beyond anything and anyone could ever hope to match. And knowing Musica she would have used _Bring Me Back to Life_./

Marco stood up, his eyes full of emotion; Chronos looked back passively as he drew the sword to her throat, she looked at him coldly.

/Is her life—/  
"OF COURSE IT IS!" Marco roared, the Concept wiped the spittle on her face and regarded Marco coldly.

/You're acting like a child, Marco./ Chronos uttered soberly, /You've seen the deaths of many—no, you do not speak over me again, _boy_. Why is she elevated over the others?/

Chronos eyes looked upon him accusingly, to which Marco could only glare back, jaw clenched.  
Higgs took notice of the heated words, feeling an unnatural unease, she looked at Hestia who merely stood off from the three, somehow trying to slip into the background as if trying to take up little presence.

Chronos's eyes harden at the sight of Star whilst the sword was mere inches from her throat,  
/Do you know why that wound will not heal, Marco?/

Silence.  
Chronos sighed.

/Because you are not Master to the Traitor's Sword. You are merely the wielder. There were only two that were truly Master of the Sword and you are neither. As was Oblivion Pendragon, as was his mother Smile Pendragon and her predecessors. Do you think that sword would betray the wishes of its master? Of course not./

Marco's face contorted with fury at the hard facts presented, the sword point shook dangerously close to flesh, the Concept merely looked on.

/...are you really going to lose two people today, Marco? Star and myself?/  
"How can you just—just do nothing!"

Chronos slapped him.  
/ _How dare you, Marco._ Do nothing? I am the Concept of Time, I am _supposed_ to do NOTHING. I have no reason, obligation nor nary any pretty words you want to slander upon me./

Marco threw the sword across the room in outrage, sticking into the wall.  
He turned his back at her as he held Star's pale hand, feeling the weakening pulse.

"Is there nothing I can do..." Marco asked to no one in particular, he gently cupped Star's cheek she leaned into it weakly, "I'm so sorry, Star..." "Marco..." Star placed her hand on his heart, feeling his heartbeat she smiled as she blinked slowly, Marco's couldn't help but sob over the princess.

Chronos looked on, Higgs couldn't bear to witness to the tragedy unfolding before her and turned her back, trembling at the emotions roiling within her. Hestia fared no better wishing to simply vanish...

The Concept could feel the Time the princess had wilting away...the black tendril tentacle began to spread across Marco's arm again, the Concept quietly contemplated the situation; knowing how rashly Marco would react being this emotionally distressed.

 _/…what must I do, Sisters?/_

Bearing witness to what Marco had been able to do in his Fell rage, the universe would surely pay if he continued to grieve for the princess. Weighing what solution held the most promise with the least amount of backlash, Chronos stopped time again, slowly closing her eyes and communed with her sisters in Prima with her decision.

The immediate screeching from Seraph nearly caused her to stumble.  
 _CHRONOS! APPREHEND HIM RIGHT NOW!_  
 _/Seraph. Sister. Please—/  
WHAT!? What are you—are you going to plead for his life!?  
/You know I would./  
NO. HE IS TOO DANGEROUS! SINCE PRIMA! SINCE ECLIPSA! SINCE—  
/I do not just plead for his life, I plead for yours! Seraph...why?  
..._  
 _/Sister, please. This has to stop./  
No. What has to stop is the fact you can't follow simple directions. You know what will happen.  
/...Marco's in grief is far worse than anything I've seen in recent memory, oh the Eon War was terrible and I still mourn for those fallen but this hurts me just as badly, Sister. I'm sure you've felt it...in his grief he would put the universe to the Fell flames.../  
...then take his Time away.  
/Has your heart truly harden, Starlight?/  
...don't call me that. I made my decision a long time ago._

Chronos looked up sadly, hoping to see Prima but all she saw was the destroyed ceiling of the Butterfly Castle, their occupants and the scorch marks of the Fell Flames...

 _Chronos; don't.  
/Do not think upon me poorly, Sister: for I have made my decision./  
...Chronos, you'd doom us all.  
/...you suffered enough the first time, Seraph; the scars are so deep that you never were the same. I miss that Seraph, I miss my Sister.../_

Chronos cut off the connection.  
She sighed in the still world.  
Everyone frozen in Time.  
She looked at Marco, then to Hestia; her eyes downcast.

 _/You and I are more alike than I want to admit, niece.  
I sincerely hope our Fates will not be the same./_

Chronos let time march forward again.  
And gently place a hand on Marco's shoulder.

/Marco. Do you wish to save the princess?/

Hestia's head nearly snapped off when she heard the words, her father looked immediately at the Concept, she looked at him with gravely already squashing the notion she was a miracle worker to him,

/Listen well Marco: I can't stop her bleeding; nothing can save for the Pendragon Sword. What I can do is disassociate the princess from the Timeline...that will buy you a small precious amount of Time. However, I'll be vulnerable and I can't lend my powers to you. That said, do you want me to still—/  
"Yes! Please, Chronos!" Marco said quickly, the Concept looked at him grimly, she put a hand on his chest and pulled out the Drop of Seraph and Hallow.

/I can make a crystal shell with this, it will help keep her stable. I'm sorry but there's no other way: Seraph and Hallow would never lend me their Blessing for what I'm about to do. Marco, whatever follows: do not fail./

Marco blinked as Chronos pushed him aside and picked up the princess, Marco saw pain cross Star's face and he comforted her.

/Say your goodbyes./  
"Star, Chronos will take care of you, I promise. You will be fine the next you wake." Marco kissed her cheek, she smiled but Chronos did not share it.

/Marco. When I bring Star back from my Plane of Existence; I fervently hope you did what must be done./

Before Marco could ask why Chronos was being so cryptic, the Drops of Seraph and Hallow flatten and expanded around her and the Mewman forming a crystal to house them.

 _/For they shall be come for you./_

Marco watched as Chronos vanish and Star slowly rotated, her eyes closed and her hands clasp together and rested on the wound as her clothes drained of blood and became a simple flowing white dress. Her pained face was replaced with one with serene sleep, as if she was simply dreaming inches away from the outside world.

Marco placed a hand on the crystal for a moment before it slowly fades from existence...

* * *

never thought youd be such a troublemaker concept of time to risk my wrath  
/I...no. The Children of Prima shall fear you no longer./  
hahaha thats adorable thinking you are not afraid well see how long that lasts the time

* * *

 _Star would be safe in Chronos's care after all._  
Marco gazed longingly where the crystal once stood.  
It was cut short when he felt a massive wave of killer intent.

He rolled to the side avoiding a black thorn spike just as Darcy returned.  
Foregoing her helm, her face was as fierce as thunder.

"Weak and pathetic!" Darcy yelled, she swaggered across the ruined castle, "I could not believe that the magnificence that is I came from such a subpar being such as yourself."

"You're nothing but a mockery, Darcy. An imitation and a poor one at that." Marco spat, Darcy merely sneered at the insult.

"Imitation? Hah! Alright, then I guess I'll just renounce that part of me that is a joke: my inferior human side, which would make me weak. _Just like you_. Sobbing like a lil bitch." Darcy roared to the heavens, her voices booming across the ruined castle,

"I REJECT YOU, MARCO; AND MY HUMANITY!"

Marco's fury exploded at her declaration, the Traitor's Sword appeared in his hand aflame.  
Darcy's sword grew several spikes along the blade edge and the clone swung sending them flying at the Dark Knight.

Marco brought the sword down smashing the spikes.  
The Elementals paused seeing Darcy again before they shot into Marco. And being none to gentle about it either.  
Hestia drew her sword while Higgs looked at her empty hands, as if by command FrostFlame appeared at her feet and she quickly picked it up glancing to Marco who looked ready to rend apart the clone.

Marco made a harsh gesture to them to stay back before letting lightning explode from his fingertips forcing Darcy to leap away while throwing more spikes to falter his follow up.

Higgs leapt at the back turn Darcy, the FrostFlame glistening only to split hair tips from Darcy as she ducked from the sneaky slash. Higgs parried the deathblow from Darcy before the clone spun and kicked her back, forcing the Mewman to painfully inhale to stop herself from blacking out.

"ENOUGH OF YOU!" Darcy thundered as she unleashed a high arc to split the shock Mewman in half, seemingly crossing the distance.

Darcy roared in anger as Hestia came crashing in, nearly beheading her with the Parallel Traitor's Sword, snarling at her miss she smote Darcy's side with a blazing fireball, skidding across the floor the clone looked at the three menacingly.

Marco poised the Pendragon Sword at her.  
Higgs held the FrostFlame with both hands.  
Hestia took a foreign stance, fire erupting all over her.

Darcy sneered at the sight of them.

She pulled Marco's Dimensional Scissors and slashed open a rift behind her and leapt for it.  
The three immediately roared,  
"COWARD!" "GET BACK HERE!"  
"DARCY!"

The clone smirked confidently even arrogantly as Marco had his bulging sword arm cocked back, Higgs shooting ice missiles and

Wait.  
Where's the third—

 **Breath of the Sun: Unbelievably Fast Body Flicker!**

Darcy felt one side of her face crush inward as Hestia fly kicked her away from the portal and at the same time wrenching the scissors free from her hand. The clone caught the glimpse of Hestia's triumphant and savage smile as she was laid out on the floor with Marco and Higgs closing in on her…

* * *

Hestia slashed the portal close and immediately flung the Parallel Traitor's Sword, slicing through the cells that lined the wall, the cries of the royals alerting the guards to which her flames smote them easily.

"GET OUT OF THE CELLS NOW!"  
"But—"  
"I SAID NOW!"

Hestia split herself and her clones went to those paralyzed by fear; helping the others to walk and standing guard over them as she went for one prisoner in particular.

Hestia called back the sword and went room to room quickly, the dark underground Hideout was a maze to figure out but what she read from her phone before it was smashed did give her some insight: her mother was here.

Kicking down a door, her eyes fell on a guard, she stared at her bug-eyed, being a bug Monster did not help.

"WHERE IS THE DIMENSIONAL-SCISSOR ENFORCER!"  
"Eek!"  
"Don't give me that 'Eek!' shit!"

Hestia shoved the guard aside and ran down a hallway.  
She stumbled.

Blinking, Hestia looked on and saw an unnatural light coming from a room, her stomach in a twist.

"...no, it couldn't be." Hestia gripped the sword and marched over, with a mighty slash, rend the door apart and stepped in, grimacing she threw the Parallel Traitor's Sword with all her might at the lantern. The broken pieces bouncing off the floor, they glowed faintly but ultimately dulled.

"Effin' thing is here too..." she shook her head and looked at the prisoner within, she held back her overflowing relief at the sight of her hornless mother but her tidal wave of hatred for Darcy grew tenfold; Hekapoo was caged up like an animal and mistreated like one...

"M-Marco?"  
"..." Hestia's words were caught in her throat at the sight of Hekapoo's eyes both nearly swollen shut from blows. Hestia stepped forward and destroyed her restraints and caught her mother, she reached out for her and she held her hand for a moment...

"...n-not Marco..." feeling her touch.  
"..." oh, how she wanted to say it was her, her daughter come to save her from this torture, "I've come to save you..."  
"LIAR! GET OFF ME, MONSTER!"  
"Gah!?"

Hestia struggled to hold her Mother even as she beat her with her fists, she could see the panic and pain that Darcy had caused her.

"I'm not her!" Hestia said firmly, "What she is—I despise with my entire being!"  
Hestia felt her anger bubble and soon even flames began to pour out of her, she quickly tried to stem the flow but the flames instead seep into her mother.

Hekapoo blinked as the fire swirled within her, feeding her inner fire and she felt her wounds she had endured at the hands of Darcy heal. Her vision clears enough to see a girl with dark hair curtaining her young face holding her gently; she blinked seeing her glowing orange eyes...

"…w-who are you?"  
"...who I am doesn't matter." Hestia said quietly, she heft up Hekapoo quickly dispelling her clones knowing they had done their job in releasing the hostages, "C'mon we better get out of here before more goons show up."

Hekapoo didn't argue but she looked at her questioningly, as if trying to ascertain who she was.

"How did you find me?"  
"Oof, heavy—Darcy, she tried to run and cut this portal. I beat her to it and took her Scissors—"  
"No, its not that bitch's Scissors." Hekapoo snarled, Hestia nodded her head in agreement.

The two continued to move through the Hideout, Hestia made sure her sword had taken a different appearance from her father's own as Hekapoo's eyes lingered on it. Her mother wasn't daft, she could already start connecting the dots but as long as she couldn't be absolutely sure...she was safe.

The two found the hostages huddled up together, the guards thankfully were taken care of courtesy of the clones, knowing the hostages they would vent the torments they suffer upon the hapless goons. While Hestia understood their intentions they could act on it after they were out of the Hideout, Darcy's needs her trump card taken away from her.

"Alright, form up! I'm cutting a portal to a place teeming with Mewman Knights, they will keep you safe until your kingdom or families can receive you." Hestia readied the Scissor.  
"T-thank you!" "Bless your heart!" "Gratitude!"  
"You honor me—NOW GET OUT OF HERE!" Hestia snapped, without a second thought the hostages ran for the portal she provided.

Hestia made one for Hekapoo, "This should be your home—" "No. No, I'm not going to Forge. Make one for Marco's room at the Butterfly Castle." "...why." "That bed of his is a lot better than the one back home, someone always fluffs it up, so I take my cat naps there."

Hestia paused at the words before she complied.  
Hekapoo glanced at the portal then back to her,  
"You know...you look awfully fa—"  
"You're imagining it."

Hestia pushed Hekapoo through the portal landing her on the bed, she quickly followed through; Hekapoo giving her a look.

"What?"  
"—?!"

Hestia blinked seeing Hekapoo's face drop.  
She turned to see

The portal sputtering.  
And the sky from the window flicker.

 **XxXxXxXxX**

* * *

Phew.  
Now this fic is finally back up to speed before the rewriting of the chapter.

I decided to change how Chronos and Hestia interacted, fleshing out Chronos and Hestia at the same time and their turbulent encounters and tragic history. Between Hestia obtaining the sword and Hestia entering this Timeline; roughly 1000 years has passed for her. And before Marco saving her? Let's just say a lot had passed since she saw her half siblings, only Marcello Lightningsong-Diazson is still alive. She and her siblings lives on a rather lonely Timeline; hence her Timeline jumping is a great joy and a chance to reminisce.

*Sigh*

Yep, everything is just getting worse and characters are dropping like flies:  
Monster Arm. Dead.  
Star Butterfly. Time Disassociated [technically dead].  
Chronos. Wont be around to help Marco, so there will be no Adult Marco cop outs.

With Death Flags aplenty, who will survive?

As for Marco and Hestia's unusual powers, I'd like to think of it as their fighting spirit personified and given form, from Monster Arm's curse and the Fell influencing it (for the record: still hasn't been activated yet. Yeah, I know, it came pouring out of Marco however I'd like to think of it as an unconscious activation, like with the Timeline where Marco DID activate it, he did it willingly letting the Fell take shape according to his desire/specification. Although, some might have guessed where I got the idea from.)

Marco was just heckin' angry.

Also, I know my fic has been very lore dense and some avid readers have been getting lost (in the sauce).  
So, I'll dedicate a chapter solely talking about it; if there's a burning question you want answered PM or review so I'll see it.

Ciao,  
I AM NRG

 ***** TIME DYSTOPIA = ZA WARUDO: TOKI WO TOMARE!  
**HARMONY OF TIME = TOKI WA UGOKI DASU!

 **END OF TRANSMISSION**


	39. Chapter 37

.  
 **Disclaimer** : we're in the fanfiction Endgame now.

 **Chapter 37**

Mewni Civil War:

Pandemonium

 **XxXxXxXxX**

* * *

Darcy was livid.  
Not only was her was her escape route snatched from her, but the little bitch had the audacity to be smug about it, grinning as she disappeared in the other side of the portal.

Now she had the ass hat human and bitch of a Mewman to deal with.

"NOW I'M ANGRY!"  
"I CONCUR!" Higgs and Marco roared as they aimed to shove their blades into her twisted heart.

Darcy's left hand glowed an ominous red as she held Misery Rose with her right; she blasted Higgs with magic before she charged at Marco, dragging her sword along the floor causing it to spark.

The Mewman knight was blasted off her feet, the sword taking the brunt of the hit but still she was knocked back a good ways away. Hestia was no longer around to help but that just left Darcy alone with her and Marco; they would overwhelm her no problem.

Higgs staggered to her feet, using the sword to heft her up.  
"HIGGS!"

The Mewman Knight looked up and dived away as Darcy blasted her again.  
Her charge at Marco a feint; she wanted Higgs first.

"THIS FIGHT IS BETWEEN MY MAGNIFIENCE AND THE MAN-CHILD! BEGONE THOT!"

Higgs made an ice screen but it proved futile as Darcy rained more magic upon her, sending her flying out of the room through the walls.

"AT LAST THE TIME HAS COME! LET US DANCE TO THE DEATH, BOY!" Darcy screamed in delirium, raising her sword.

Darcy traded blows with Marco, re-growing her broken sword blade after each successive hit, the sword seemingly had a nigh infinity supply to abuse even as the Traitor's Sword broke it again and again.

"Hahaha, I'm going to gut you, MARCO!"  
"SHUT YOUR GODDAMN MOUTH!"

Darcy tried to dance away from his sword reach but Marco not having it managed to snap a kick and sent her stumbling. Marco darted forward; ready to lop her head clean off.

Darcy grinned stabbing her sword into the floor and flooding it with magic.

 **RAVAGING ROSES!**

Marco saw all the broken sword pieces around him suddenly stood upright, their dangerous point aimed at him before they elongated and attempted to skewer him.

He tossed the sword over his shoulder and warped away to safety, only to have the spikes abruptly swerve and continued at him. Marco skid across the floor before chucking the sword at the homing spikes, smashing them to bit and continue sailing to the clone.

Darcy blasted the sword with magic sending it spinning safely away, Marco warped to it and using the spin momentum sent himself sailing at the clone, Automata invoking Iron Skin so he could put the hurt on Darcy.

Darcy's gloating face turned to pain as Marco's reinforced boot found her midsection, crumpling metal before he was on her, pummeling her with his gauntlets. His anger and frustration so blinding, the Dark Knight forgotten such blows would do nothing to the clone, no ever lasting damage.

But for all she had done: he wanted to make her hurt.

"MARCO!"

Her mangled roared roused him from his bashing, he saw her bloodied and broken face and quickly summoned his sword, ready to end it all.

Just as the sword materialized in his hand, Darcy supercharged her left hand and smashed her fist into the sword pommel sending it flying out of the castle. Marco readied to recall it but Darcy had other plans, she grabbed him with her left hand, it began to crackle dangerously.

"If I'm to die, I'll take all of this kingdom with me! HAHaAHA!"

Marco gritted his teeth.  
And commanded the sword.

Marco was greeted to the crisp Mewni air as he warped himself and by extension Darcy out of the castle,

"PREDICTABLE MARCO! HOW ARE YOU EVEN HERALDED AS A HERO!?" Darcy cackled as she punched Marco across the face before kicking off him, dodging the sword swipe as the two fell towards the town below.

Marco snarled, losing Darcy as she smashed through a house, Marco willed a tree from below, breaking his fall with some branches and dashed to where Darcy had landed.

Mewmans screamed around him as they scurried from him and the destruction, his eyes darting for any possible ambush points, routes and hidey-holes Darcy could use. No such attack, Marco arrived at the house without incident before he kicked down the door, his sword at the ready.

"DARCY!"  
"Shut the fuck up, boy."

The clone held a small child as hostage, her sword pointed at him.  
Her left index and middle finger pointed at the child's temple.

"Now, let's all calm down before we regret it~"  
"I won't."  
"...heh, yeah, I won't either."

Magic exploded from her fingertips.  
The child had already sunk waist deep thanks to Dunes Sandpit avoiding the headshot.  
Darcy roared as the sword spun for her forcing her to leap away only to be struck by Marco's fingertip lightning, sending her tunneling out of the house and into another.

Not letting up, he called forth the Elementals and continued to blast the clone, summoning the sword in between attacks and throwing it with deadly intent, but Darcy managing to only be nicked by it. Blood poured down her body profusely.

Still she remained.  
Still she fought.

Marco could hear the screams of terror, the heat of fires spreading from all the attacks he and Darcy were causing. The Dark Knight watched as a frighten family run past him, he slowed his run, blinking rapidly, he turned slowly around to see the town on the foot of the castle enveloped in flames and destruction.

Mewmans trying to put out the fires.  
Screaming.  
Crying.  
Running.

Marco winced, grasping his head.  
Warco and Ocram marveling at his work.

"No...no...I'm—I'm better than this..."  
"No. BUT I AM!"

Marco blocked a magic ray, the sword splitting the beam in two and incinerated running Mewmans. Blood pounded in his ears hearing the screams of shocked families, Darcy smiled to herself, licking her left fist, magic dancing along her fingertips.

"Look how much fun we're having Marco! Oh, you're such a good play date~"  
"..."

Darcy snickered at his murderous face as she lazily sat on a nearby balcony.

"Wipe that look off your face! You act as if this wasn't going to happen! Or perhaps...you would be the one to do it~?" Darcy said thoughtfully, "I mean, and I get to revoke and vomit this after I say it: I am You after all~ so in some twisted ironic sense... _YOU_ DID DO IT. _YOU_ killed those Mewmans, caused the Mewman Civil War and set Mewni ablaze, ahahaha!

 **And killed Star Butterfly."**

Darcy laughed.  
She laughed even as Marco leveled his sword at her.  
And laughed as the world screamed around her.

* * *

Oblivion and Buttercup flinched as something flew overhead.  
The two feeling something shift in the dimension.

"...was that?"  
"...that can't be good."

* * *

Darcy hacked up blood, wiping her chin and feeling like shit.  
Her glanced over the Hell Crusader Armor, shaking her head letting blood drip over herself before she pushed herself to stand.

She scoffed seeing that they were out of the Butterfly Kingdom, south of it where it was nothing but the wilds.

"You chose a charming place to die, Marco."  
"I've had enough of your bullshit, DARCY!"

The clone tilted her head, the sword missing her face before Marco warped, his leg cocked back ready to ram his steel toe into her mouth.

The clone gave him the finger.  
The magic artifacts glowing in response.

Marco found himself hitting ground and gravel, his back aching from the distance he had traveled as Darcy glared at the cut he managed on her hand.

"Again and again you cut me, Marco...its amusing at best since I can't heal the damage you wrought. But as long as I don't suffer an injury like _woe is me_ Star Butterfly; I think I'll manage to kill you easily."

Darcy pulled out some magic from the jewels and wagged it around like a rag before she formed it, making a glove and slipped it on, she grinned darkly.

"Not quite like healing, can't close the wound, but if I can make magic like a second skin then it's no different than not bleeding at all~! I'll figure a way to break this little problem you do pose on me Marco; maybe if I snapped that sword in two, I'll completely heal~"

Marco propped himself up for a moment as Darcy began to wrap herself in magic, hoping to stop the bleeding he managed to put on her. He gritted his teeth at the sight.

Magic.

He pushed himself up and readied to end it all.  
He paused seeing his hand, then his arm: the black tendril tattoos that Monster Arm had so _lovingly_ gave him.

"What is this? Did Darcy…?"

 _T'was not her, Marco._

Marco was silent at the response from Automata.

 _"...are you all alright?"  
...that depends, Marco.  
Indeed._

 _"...those are some cold words."  
Oh, I'm sorry, Marco. Do you remember Fell Flaming us?_

 _"...I can't say I do."_

 _Oh ho! Typical._

 _...seeing all of us are going to be uncivil and Hestia isn't here to do any explain: you hurt us, Marco. Seraph was worried you'd hurt us, abuse us and frankly we always thought her fears were unfounded. Petty jealousy or some rubbish._

 _Until now._

 _So you better root around that empty head of yours about what you did._

Marco swallowed the little information he was given.  
He did something.  
Something very wrong.  
The Elementals always sided with him whenever Seraph was involved...but whatever he had done definitely made them change their minds.

 _"...okay. I will."  
... _

Marco called the sword forth and made a beeline for Darcy, a slow gradual walk.

Finished with her magic bandaging of her problem, seeing the resolute stride of the Dark Knight, she retrieved her sword and pulled out some blade to bash with Marco.

"So brave to waltz to your death, boy."

Marco did not share her banter.  
Instead he stomped his foot down and the ground beneath her exploded with ice.  
Darcy skipped to the side only to have Marco launch himself with an ice protrusion, the clone scoffed at the sight and speed; he was mighty slow from her perspective.

As if knowing her thoughts, he shot lightning from his hand.  
She threw spikes at him forestalling the attack, she lazily yelled, "Predictable."

She shrieked when a tree exploded from underneath her, the branches locking her.

"DIE DARCY!"  
"HOW ABOUT YOU!?"

Marco flung his sword just as Darcy did her own.  
The Misery Rose's blade was cut in two but it was enough, the sword veered away from her.

Marco warped himself and flung the sword again, Darcy gathered magic and split the tree down the middle, throwing off the sand snakes that were slithering up the trunk to help subdue her. Again Marco reappeared to his sword, above the clone and in the perfect angle for an attack, he plunged downwards for a sure fatal blow.

"TOO COCKY! **VENGEFUL VORTEX!** "  
"GRK!"

Marco found himself slamming into a twister erupting from Darcy's hand, the Traitor's Sword unperturbed by the magic however Marco felt the slicing wind cut into him.

He pushed the sword down until he got it underneath his boot and kicked the pommel down, the sword slicing through while he was sent airborne.

Darcy hopped back from the sword drop before she willed the broken Misery Rose pieces around her to spike up around the Traitor's Sword with her vile magic. Darcy smiled darkly, imagining Marco impaled by the rose's thorny spikes.

Marco flew higher and higher, the vortex not at all stopping.  
He gathered lightning to his hand and split it in twain collapsing the vortex; he was high enough to see Butterfly Castle in the distance.

He could see Darcy below, already gathering magic to her left hand and the Misery Rose back in her hands; his guts plummeted just as gravity pulled him back. The lightning crackled in his hand as he readied to nose dive for

"URGK!?"

Marco felt something smash into his shoulder spinning him in mid drop, he blinked frantically spying the Royal Wand zooming for Darcy's open left hand.

She smiled evilly at him.

"Aw, look, it seems even Princess Star wants me to kill you~!  
I will graciously take her donation to the cause!"

Marco's gut plummet seeing Darcy crush the Wand and dropped the pieces as she opened her hand.

The Star Jewel joining the stolen magick relics in her fist.  
He felt a sudden shift in the dimension.

Darcy released a blood curdling scream as the Primordial magicks wreak havoc on her, spreading shimmering spider veins all over visible skin. Her eyes hard on Marco as she aimed her fist at him, she roared as he recalled his sword seeing the swell in magic around her,

 **"MAGIC IS EVERYTHING, MARCO!"**

Not waiting for her to get even stronger, Marco brought the sword double overhead and threw it right for the clone, Darcy saw the sword path and let loose a concentrated burst of magick at the sword projectile.

Darcy bared her teeth as the sword cleaved through the magical blast, watching the spinning disc of death move ever so closer. Whilst she remained stationary, Marco in fact did not as he continued to descend faster and faster for a very painful landing. He hoped to wait for Darcy to misstep, to cancel her attack too early so he could Warp and lodge the sword between her eyes.

But the moment passed and he was forced to channel one of the Elementals.

YUKI  
SLUSHIE SLIDE!

Marco saw the ground not covered with a comfortable size of frost to pad his landing.  
 _"Y-Yuki?"  
...oh fine._

The moment Marco hit slush, Darcy frantically poured into her attack slowing the sword just enough to sidestep the sword and put some distance between her and it. Marco stuck his head out of the frost, cursing he missed a chance to end Darcy, he pulled himself free as Darcy wasted no time in blasting him with magic, the bolts a lot bigger and meaner than it was previously.

"I see you've been juicing, Darcy, can't fight me without it?"  
"I see you're still trying to stab me with that butter knife you call a sword, dickhead!"

 _Ugh, it's like Marco is yelling at himself.  
HE IS.  
"HEY."  
Tis true, governor._

The Traitor's Sword reappeared in Marco's hand, Darcy's eyes homed on it, knowing its deadly affect on her as she doubled her barrage of magic. Marco weaved his sword around him like an angry viper, deflecting bolts and steadily getting closer with intricate footwork, sweat poured down his brow and body as the clone repeatedly attacked.

As if reading his mind, Darcy composed herself and let loose a mighty bolt forcing Marco to shear through it, dodging it would prove futile as the explosion would have incapacitate him otherwise.

Darcy smirked at her gambit and grew herself crow wings and took flight,  
"Catch me if you can, Marco!"

Marco panted seeing Darcy gain altitude, his blood boiling.  
Was this his fate? To literally chase 'himself' all over Mewni?  
His heart hammered in his chest, seeing her flap higher and farther from him, he gripped his sword ready to throw, but his arm falter as his mind raced for a better idea.

"...she's too cautious of my sword, I need to ground her somehow. Elements heed my call!"

Darcy spun to the right as lightning forked down on her, she threw a backward glance and saw Marco making claw hand gestures at the sky. The once fluffy cotton clouds had turn stormy gray, crackling with lightning, Darcy growled,

"As if I'll let you stop me!"

"BRING HER DOWN RAIGU! YUKI!"

Darcy spun and dodged frantically before something smashed into her wings, she shrieked in pain before she began to get bludgeoned repeatedly. Hail the size of footballs came pelting for the clone, if not for her armor and healing she would have been mush inside a tin can.

Darcy spun magic around her, blocking the attacks.

Marco cursed as Darcy cackled.  
Her annoying laugh magically amplified.

The Elementals snarled.  
Marco felt one Elemental shoot straight for the skies; followed by another.

 _RAIGU, WHAT ARE YOU DOING?!  
 **RAGE WITH ME!**_

Marco watched in disbelief as every cloud in Mewni suddenly converged to where Raigu was, she made herself two crackling drumsticks and began to hammer them into the nearby clouds sending blistering surges through the clouds, beating harder and harder as the clouds turned pitch black.

And with each blow the clouds deafeningly clapped and applauded for the Lightning Elemental.

Yuki watched in silent horror as Raigu began to turn Primal: her hair standing frazzled, electric blue zigzag tattoos raced all over her pristine skin, her flowing robe turned into a tattered kimono depicting vengeful demons, dragons and tigers.

What was most frightening was her eyes devoid of her usual cheer and hyper-activeness.  
Bright lights shined out as she bared her canines and sharpen teeth as the collected powers seeped into her rapidly.

Her gaze shifted from Darcy.  
Then to Marco.  
Yuki quickly shifted her to face the clone.

 _That one.  
That one, Sister._

Yuki said reassuringly, sensing that Primal Raiju had trouble-identifying friend from foe.  
Especially with one that was cloned from their current vessel.

Raiju opened her maw and roared inhumanly before she seemingly vanished and appeared above Darcy, transporting the entire cloud column with her in the shape of a hammer, thrumming with untold power.

 _—_ _HEAVENLY JUDGEMENT OF THE RAGING THUNDER GODDESS! —_

Raiju power-dived for the clone, her Primal powers consuming her as she aimed for Darcy.  
The clone heard the voices within her scream bloody panic as she pointed her left hand at the Elemental, she saw the righteous fury aimed at her and she snarled at the audacity directed at her.

"EAT MAGIC, TURBO TITS!"

Yuki tried to shoot herself ahead of Raiju, knowing the level of magic would snap her out of her Primal state and the likely outcome would be Raiju forever lost in Mewni...

 _Sister!  
Let me freeze Time, even for a second!_

So intent on colliding with the magic, Yuki never realized that diamond and crystal pattern tattoos appeared on her.

Darcy roared in victory.  
Then in horror.

Yuki clutched her gut as she fell away.  
Raiju's roar deafen the clone as the full force of a calamity struck her.

* * *

"Mother!" Meteora yelled as she clutched the nearby column for support.  
Eclipsa stared out of the balcony as the clouds that always cast an overcast over her kingdom and kept it hidden suddenly receded then followed by the brightest pillar of light she ever witness shoot to the heavens.

Then all of Mewni rumbled.  
Her distance from the epicenter spared her the explosive ruptures.  
It was tantamount to mere dish shaking levels, maybe an unexpected push even.

Went it settled.

Meteora fussed over her.

Then her guests came a-coming.

"What was that?!"  
"And that shaking!"  
"Earthquakes? Mewni-quakes?"

Janna, Jackie and Kelly were there asking question in a flash.  
If she didn't know better they got here via magic.

"Listen esteemed guests:  
I don't know."

The three gave her a look.

Eclipsa looked back at the undeniable destruction at the horizon.  
A call to war, no doubt.

"But...I know someone who does..."

* * *

The moment Yuki and Raiju left him, Marco was already on the move.  
He was sorely tempted to Warp with his sword, but in his teenage body, his abuse of vitality had caught up to him.

Dunes begrudgingly made him a sand platform and flew after them.  
Watching the storms of Mewni converge at Raiju's behest had him in awe.

But when Darcy decided to retaliate he yelled, his warning lost to the roar of the storms, he saw something collide with Darcy's attack. But who could possibly be fast enough?

All his pondering took a backseat as Raiju struck Darcy with everything she commanded.  
All he saw was white as he was flung back; the four winds screaming in his ears.  
Then the earth decided to go on a drum solo and churned the ground so violently that it had re-launched Marco back into the air.

Marco hit ground again after a minute of air time, groaning as he felt gravel and dirt once again.

He sat up, banged the palm of his hand against his skull, a nagging ringing in his ear.  
"Fuuuuuck...I can't hear shit."

He looked around bleary before he noticed light in the distance.  
Then he smelled smoke.  
Tasted blood.

He pulled himself up and saw the extent of the damage caused: he sky looked as if it was ruptured, the clouds in disarray with sporadic lightning between them; further he saw what was left of a forest that wasn't flatten on fire with what looked like a crater.

He mentally called out to the Elementals.  
No one spoke,  
He was empty.

"Damnit..." Marco spat blood as trudged for the crater, knowing they would be at least there to survey the damage.

Step over step, Marco pushed, he was tired physically, mentally and emotionally; all crammed in a single day. Dark thoughts wormed into him as he got closer, knowing the toil it had cost the Elementals.

"Almost...there—ack!"

Marco stumbled and hit dirt, a painful pop in his inner ear let him hear once again. He panted painfully, waiting for the pain to subside to more reasonable levels but he didn't get the chance,

 _Marco..._

He craned his neck the best he could as Automata emerged from underneath, she gave him a rueful smirk.

 _We got the bitch.  
Jewel and Dunes are watching guard over her body.  
After they staked her that is._

Marco shared the Elemental's dark smile,  
"Is Raiju okay?"

The Metal Elemental gestured as her sisters came from the thicket.  
Yuki and Raiju were carried out by Moku and Golem respectively.

Marco still reeling pushed himself to his feet and slowly made his way to them; they stiffly greeted him before he saw to the two,  
"Raiju, Yuki that was freakin' reckless."  
 _Oh, stuff, boy.  
We did that cause we can't stand magic. Especially that kind of magick._

Marco was perplexed.  
"So...not because I—"  
 _No.  
Hmph._  
"...I really need to have a conversation about this treatment and what I did; but can we have it after I bury the Traitor's Sword in Darcy's heart?"  
 _I would be insulted otherwise._

Marco moved for the crater, the Elementals keeping up,  
"But I'm glad you're alright Raiju, Yuki."  
 _...your concern is noted. I—I'll just say it: what I did was reckless. When I was in the eye of the storm...a dark thought came to mind. When you went ballistic in the castle, you didn't care who you hurt—going Primal is akin to that: we have no conscience for we are Nature, does an earthquake, hurricane or tsunami care or ask how many shall die? No: we don't._  
"...that went south really fast."  
 _Ah, Raiju—ah folly, Marco, what my sister is trying to say is that your marvelous blunder is something we all want to know because we have it as well._

Marco didn't feel any better but he nodded regardless as he slid down the steep slope, Dunes and Jewel gave a nod.

Then laughed when Marco gained speed and rolled quite a ways down.  
And kept rolling.

As much as they liked watching Marco do a barrel roll, Dunes got sand clouds to catch him and bring him to them.

"T-thanks, I don't think—" _  
Enough fainéant, end this thing already._

Marco quickly got to his feet, his sword glistening.  
He saw Jewel and Dunes with their handiwork all over Darcy.

Or what he could identify anyways.  
A blacken dried out husk of a person laid within a mangled tin can of an armor but regardless of how Darcy looked...

Crystal stakes riddled her body along with sand snakes and hands holding down the clone, her left hand covered in diamond casing, with floating sand shuriken nearby.

Marco moved past them and cocked his arm back, feeling every muscle tighten as the Elementals made an opening for her ruined breastplate.

The sword sank to the hilt.  
The Elementals spat on the ground.

Marco looked at the body: the end of Darcy.

And yet...he was dissatisfied

 _What Marco?_  
"...dunno. I expected the body to erupt in flames or something."  
 _Theatrics._

Marco looked at the body.  
It was just...too easy.  
He took a step

 _MARCO!_

Dunes shoved him.  
She screamed when a magic spike pierced her side from underneath.

Marco threw the sword and cut the spike, letting Jewel catch her.

The clone's left hand exploded the crystal prison and Darcy clawed her way out of the ground, Marco already had the sword back in his hand.

His eye darted to the body, she had hid underground only leaving her armor and left hand above ground, a fake body attached to her hand to pose and drop their guard...

"Ooh, I missed~ then again you almost got my pretty face!" Darcy snarled pointing at a pinprick on her right cheek, she slapped on a magic spot before running at Marco in her naked glory.

If Marco was a lesser man he would have been distracted.  
But the only hot blood rushing was to his limbs for battle.

Magic versus blessed steel.

Marco felt the pause when the sword broke the magic Darcy used to defend herself and remake, it was the same with Star's magic wand sword when they fought years ago...

Marco distance himself with the memory, remembering the wand blade could batter the Traitor's Sword but he was in the defensive at the time.  
This time he would shatter the magic.

Darcy sensing his battle rage and focus didn't miss a beat and drew and made as many magic blades as she needed, forming them from the glowing left hand of hers.

Thrust.  
Overhead.  
Backhand.

Darcy well-versed in combat and thanks to the demented machine of the Crimson Children, made her experience years of battle, matched Marco in his ferocity.

A dance of death of a man and his reflection.

Three times Darcy managed to draw blood.  
Marco draw blood just as much.  
If not for the magic surrounding the clone she would be in a puddle of her own blood.

Marco tried to mold some lightning from the sword but Darcy was a lot quicker, sending lances of lightning at him from her left hand forcing him to block with the sword. His eyes readjusted just as Darcy took off forcing him to pursue, she feinted and turn tail and ran for Jewel and Dunes.

Jewel called her powers, crystals pillars suddenly pierce to the surface but the clone laughed manically as she cut them with her magic, a beeline for them.

"Marco can't protect you from me! He can't protect anyone!"

 _SHUT YOUR MOUTH, BITCH!_

Darcy gave a feral smile as she got closer, Dunes kept a hand on her wound and with the other she slammed her hand on the ground forming sand vipers that lunged for the clone.  
When Darcy smashed them to pieces, she took the sand twister head on from Dunes, even when it sandpaper her flesh from her bones, she screamed in animalistic fury,

 **CHORT CHAINS!**

Dunes jettison Jewel with a sand pillar then tried to dive into the ground only to be struck with 5 of the 8 magic chains and dragged to the clone.

 _ARGH!_  
"GET OVER HERE!"

Marco snarled as Darcy held Dunes with a magic blade at her throat,  
"Hey, hey, hey! Everyone be cool~!"

"LET HER GO DARCY!"  
 _Release her you wretch!_

Darcy smiled darkly at Marco and the Elementals that quickly gathered, she eyed Marco intently,

"Not so strong without your harem of harlots, eh, Marco!?"  
"I will not repeat myself again, Darcy." Marco pointed the sword at her, she sneered at the threat posed.

"Do you think you'll win this battle, Marco? This war? No. You won't.  
There will be no glorious dawn. No feasts or fanfare. Ballads, hymns or legends declaring your victory; there will only blood and misery for all—"  
"You paint your own demise quite well, Darcy—"

"DO NOT INTERUPT ME!" Darcy roared, a magic spike exploding underneath Dunes's foot causing her to shriek, the clone wrestled the Elemental down whilst they edged closer.

"AS I WAS SAYING:  
You won't win, Marco.  
You already lost—you just don't know it~

My army outnumbers you, Marco: thousands over! Your little pets will be trampled by sheer numbers! You who stylized himself as a folk legend in Mewni, some grandeur hero to save this wretched place..."

"..."  
"You may speak now dumbass."  
"...I'm going to put this sword into you.  
And that will be the end of it."

Darcy chuckled.

"You say that Marco...but all of this:  
I'm just getting started~"

Darcy licked her chops.  
Her eyes on the Elementals, as if sizing them up,  
 **"You look like a snack~"**

Marco felt his hair bristle.  
Not just from his anger but resonating with the Elementals nearby, sharing his rage.  
Darcy's maniacal eyes never left them as she pulled Dunes's hair and showed her maw horrifically changed to resemble if a hippo decided to swap teeth with a great white shark.

Raiju, Jewel, Moku, Golem, Automata and Yuki gathered their powers to strike the clone before she devoured their Sister, Marco's fingertips moments away from releasing the Traitor's Sword.

Darcy kicked Dunes at them.  
The sudden change proved near fatal for Dunes as Marco managed to send the sword whizzing for the ground in front of her.

But the combined attacks of the six other Elementals got her dead on.

 _ARGHHH!_

The Sand Elemental screamed as lightning, crystal, lava, metal, ice and wood struck her.

Marco ran for Darcy as the Sisters cried apologies and shook their limp Sister.

"YOU DIE FOR THIS DARCY!"  
"AHAHAHA—SAY THAT AS MUCH AS YOU PLEASE, IT DOESN'T MAKE IT TRUE~!"

Darcy scream-laughter rang in his ears as his sword missed the naked clone.

"MAYBE IF YOU SAY IT LOUDER IT WILL COME TRUE~!"

 _MARCO!_

He glanced back, seeing Raiju racing for him,  
 _You're too slow, lemme juice up your system!_

Raiju entered Marco and sent a jolt to his body, making him keenly aware of his surroundings to a surreal degree. From the breeze through his hair, the sweat on his face, the gravel underneath his boot; it was a nauseatingly sudden change.

Darcy snickered commanding her Misery Rose to her hand, she spun to face the boy, very much confident that he was no match for her, he would come close

"DIE!" Marco roared as he swung for her neck, she ducked in the nick of time, her mind racing to how he crossed the distance so quickly, she saw the deep indentation where he last stood

All that was knocked aside when his knee connected to her face and he quickly grabbed her neck and forced her to the ground, _how fast did he just get!?_ Still blinded with tears and blood gushing from her nose, she knew Marco would shove that blasted sword into her any second, she roared,

 **CAUSTIC COCOON!**

Marco gritted his teeth as a bubbling barrier surround her, only his head and neck was above the bubble and everything else inside of it seared.

 _GET OFF HER MARCO!_  
"I'LL KILL HER FIRST!"

The Elemental pulled herself free from her vessel and grabbed him by his neck and pulled him free, he wheezed in pain feeling the chemical burns. Darcy undid the magic and stood up, flesh peeling off her, Marco wasn't the only one to get hurt by the magic.

Raiju fired bolts at the clone but she merely slapped it away with her left hand, magic once again foiling her attacks. Raiju looked at Marco, sensing he would go into shock soon and began to use her electricity to mend him,

 _Be still Marco, I'm not as good as Undine or Seraph, heck Moku would be better than me!  
Then let me do it!_

Moku and the rest of the Elementals joined them, she and Yuki quickly tended to Marco whilst the rest faced off with the clone.

"Well, well, well~ if it isn't the bitch who broke my armor."  
 _There's nothing to hide behind now, wretch._

Marco watched in silent distress as the Elementals took on Darcy whilst Yuki and Moku mended him,  
 _this isn't right...this my fight..._

Not wasting time, the Elementals leapt at Darcy ferociously, their powers bursting from their fingertips as they laid waste to her. Darcy used her Misery Rose extensively trying to stake the ravishing beauties, but Automata made a claw hand and the demonic sword was ripped from her hands. The Metal Elemental began to twist the blacken sword, to break it and leave it useless but Darcy latched magic chains on it and tried to get it back.

Automata grunted as she was being pulled to Darcy, her Sisters immediately attacked Darcy in her vulnerable state but when she made magical tentacles and vines Automata decided pull harder then let go.

Darcy anticipating yanked back and incidentally sent her sword flying for the horizon, out of reach.  
The Elementals laughed at her loss.  
Darcy didn't like her toy taken from her, not one bit.

Marco saw Darcy grow monstrous, taking the traits and appearances of those she had devoured; all bubbling to the surface like a rancid stew of flesh.

"YOU ROTTEN THOTS!"  
 _THE ONLY ONE I SEE IS YOU!_

Scaly skin hard as concrete, eight burly arms, a barbed tail, crow wings, eight eyes like a spider, waist down were four sturdy legs of elephant and a maw of an undersea dragon.

 _Oh, crap.  
And I thought she couldn't get uglier.  
Boo, no professionals in an Ugly Contest._

"YOU DIE ESPECIALLY SLOW FOR THAT, COW."

The Elementals mirth turned to fear when Darcy came at them, with unbelievable agility despite her repulsive size she crashed into Automata and pushed her waist deep into the dirt. Automata ducked as a massive fist came for her head but Darcy with eight arms swung merciless at the Elemental, a flurry of fists struck Automata pounding her into the ground.

"YOU ARE NOTHING! JUST A USELESS, USELESS—!"  
 _GET AWAY FROM MY SISTER!_

Jewel cartwheel through the air,  
 _EMERALD CRASH!_

Jewel turned a violent green and slammed into the clone, the rest of the Elementals overcome their shock and dog piled the clone, too. But with the Royal Wand Star, it just fueled Darcy with magic overwhelmingly, no matter how significant the damage they caused, Darcy regrew or shrugged off the death blows she suffered.

Her ugly gargantuan laugh rang through the air as she tore through diamond precipices and lightning bolts, swam out of quicksand and lava; and melted steel beams with her noxious breath.

"IS THIS ALL YOU CAN DO?!  
ENTERTAIN ME!"

The Elementals not taking the taunts lightly began to turn channel their powers more extensively looking more Primal by the second, Yuki squeezed Marco's arm,  
"What's the matter, Yuki?"  
 _...I don't care much for the place but I don't want to see my Sisters go Primal over and over again...they run the risk of staying like that...forever. A Calamity without Thought or Heart, sparing no one. No one deserves that..._

Marco looked over the burns before he shrugged off Yuki and Moku,

 _Marco, you're still—_  
"Just numb my body to the pain!" he yelled as he ran forward, leaving the two behind.

 _Hard headed as always.  
_ _..._ _  
_

Yuki sent a chilling swirl over Marco as he raced forward, his sword glimmering in his hand.  
He pushed through the Elementals, Darcy roared at the sight of him rushing forward to meet her,

"Finally done letting your bitches do your dirty—"  
"RAAAAAAUGH!"

He threw the Traitor's Sword forcing her to take a titanic leap aside, Darcy roared with laughter, Marco yelled back,

"PREDICTABLE!"

Darcy's many eyes widen as the Elementals shot into Marco as he cupped his hands together, light swirled inside his palms,

"AND YOU'RE AN EVEN BIGGER TARGET NOW!"

Darcy fired bolts at him but seeing him endure she held out her eight arms, a magical barrier to shield her but nonetheless Marco committed to his assault on the clone,

 **WRATH OF NATURE!**

Marco braced himself, pushing into the twisting blast as the clone's barrier took the hit, he gritted his teeth as the attack racked his body with unbearable pain. Still he kept his aim true on the clone, the barrier withstood the initial crash but seeing the barrier indent and wobble with every second helped Marco hold on and focus the blast.

Suddenly the barrier vanished and the beam struck Darcy directly.

Marco felt a savage smile.

Then it fell.

The beam were being absorbed into the clone's left gem hammered fist, Marco fell to his knees as the blast expired and the clone grinned darkly at Marco, even as it body bubbled horrifically.

 **"MY TURN."**

The clone aimed her fist at him and the same beam came screaming out, but quadrupled magnified by the Primordial Magick in every way.

Marco recalled his sword and threw it, but with all the juice added the sword did indeed cleaved some but the force alone sent it twirling away.  
Not believing his eyes.

 _MARCO!_

Without hesitation he slammed his numb hands on the ground as the Elementals tried to shield him from certain death,

 **AEGIS OF NATURE!**

Marco saw a mixture of ice, metal, lightning, sand, wood and crystal erupt in front of him, sheltering him from the blast.  
Golem appeared behind him and grabbed him,

 _C'mon, you need to get out of here—!?_

 _FLY, SISTER!_

Marco briefly saw the Aegis overcome by the blast.  
The next thing he knew he was facing the sky.  
His entire body numb.

He stared at the foreign blue for a minute before he gasped realizing he wasn't breathing at all, he rolled to his side coughing feeling blood exit his nose and mouth. The sudden burst of movement left him weak again and he slumped to the dirt, his eyes adjusting.

The Elementals were laid unconscious all over the place.

Marco huffed painfully for air and pushed himself, propped on his elbows, he panted from such as simple task.

"Hah hah, man that had some mean kick..." Darcy chuckled, as she was slump on her knees, her monstrous form peeled off during the blast and were scattered behind her like some ruined flesh suit.

Marco couldn't believe his eyes.

Darcy grinned at him.  
He reached out his hand and called forth his sword.

Nothing.

Darcy painfully cackled, clutching her side, her flesh literally melting off her.  
Her regeneration taxed.  
This was his chance.

Marco grunted as he forced himself to his knees, feeling his bones as brittle as glass, he weakly lifted his hand and called forth his sword again.

Nothing.

Darcy licked her lips even as it fell off, the clone looked at the magick jewels on her fist glowing vibrantly, it was a gambit of hers really, never thought it would work but the backlash was something she wouldn't use frequently, especially since she was left like this.

Darcy felt blood dribbled down her open wound, with a careless wipe from her left hand she tore off even more flesh, she grimace seeing ruined tissue.

She was falling apart.

Then she heard Marco snort, amused.  
She glowered at him.  
How dare he looked down on her! Him a mere human!

"You're not so powerful, dickhead." Darcy hissed pointing a finger at him, the jewels still glowing, "Without your stupid sword or those thots hanging out with you—?"

Darcy traced her finger at him then to the unconscious Elementals littering the battlefield before she realized that a magic line lingered in the air. She stared at it for a moment, it looked as if, no it couldn't be?

Darcy poked the magic line with her finger and pulled down on it suddenly, just like a zipper the line split dumping something before Darcy.

It was her sword.

She stared at it for a moment before she looked back to her fist, seeing the brightest gem that she made out of Hekapoo's Horn glowing,

"Ah...makes sense then, that was her nasty power after all~"

Marco felt his guts lurch seeing her sword back in her possession.  
She looked up at Marco, grinning like the Cheshire Cat.

"I wonder what sorts of goodies I can find~!"

Darcy swiped in the air and opened these rifts with wanton abandon, dropping all sorts of things on her lap; most of which was rubbish. But the fact she could do that made him weary, his hand aching for his sword to end her once and for all.

Darcy enjoyed watching Marco's face grow paler as she opened rift after rift, a display of her newfound power definitely got his attention. She smugly opens another rift and something large crushed her lap causing her to cry and pummel it rolling it off her as she nursed herself.

The sudden change made Marco snicker only for it to die in his mouth as the thing rolled and faced him. It was the last person Marco could possibly think would fall out of the rift, right onto Darcy's lap:

Mina Loveberry.

"You overgrown dolt! I ought to—wait, you smell... _DELICIOUS_." Darcy salivated as she took a deep whiff of the Solarian.

Marco roared as he staggered to his feet through sheer willpower and adrenaline pumped frantically through his blood, but all that bravado was ignored as Darcy threw herself on the warrior her eyes only for her meal, _no! NO!_

Marco held out his hand and yelled,  
"COME TO ME, SWORD OF PENDRAGON AND STRIKE DOWN THIS WICKED CLONE!"

Fire erupted around his hand and the fabled sword fell to it.

"You grow bold, Marco! Let's see how you fare against a GOD!" Darcy cackled as she sunk her teeth into the beaten Solarion, gulping mouthful of nourishing blood.

Marco clenched his jaws so hard he felt his teeth crack as he threw the Traitor's Sword harder than he ever had, the spinning blade screamed for the clone as he fell over onto the dirt once again.

 **"YOU'RE TOO LATE MARCO—  
I REJECT MY HUMANITY  
AND EMBRACE MY GODHOOD!"**

 **XxXxXxXxX**

* * *

Well, shit has hit the fan.  
Big time.  
At least the question when 'she' would show up has been finally been addressed.

To recap Darcy has taken the blood and traits of the Big 8 Mewni Kingdoms. Magick Artifacts: the Unicorn of PonyHead, the Horn of Hekapoo, Rhombulus Nipple Gem, King River's Scepter Jewel and the Royal Wand Jewel. Devoured countless Mewman and Monsters to use their traits and appearance, most prominent is Liquid Lizard's regeneration.

And to top it off: the last surviving Solarian.

Darcy had quite a many close calls these past chapters, Raiju's attack would have killed her outright if not for the Wand Jewel coming to her possession. And with Solarian blood flowing through her veins, she will be truly something akin to a god.

Can Marco triumph?

Ciao,  
I am NRG

 **END OF TRANSMISSION**


End file.
